Hi! I have a 3 year old daughter who is currently in preschool and she loves it. Her preschool runs a day camp during the summer. Originally, I was going to keep her home for the summer, but I see how much she has thrived this year. I just really wanted the summer with her, but I feel as if I may be depriving her if I don't send her. I am very torn. Thanks in advance for your responses!
I would send her. She'll have fun. At home all summer would be tough. Camps do great things in summer!
Registration for day camps is usually by the week. So you could do both. Send her to camp every other week and home with you the other week.
How many hours a day is school? Full time vs part time is a big difference. What I used to do is calculate how many free hours a day my kids would have. If she's going to have well over half the day free with you, then seems like camp makes sense. If she's going to be gone a lot, then maybe skip it. Half day/few hours sounds like plenty at age 3.
If you can afford it, etc I would for sure send her! she will make more new friends, and be involved in more activities, and she will be kept busy instead of boredom sometimes at home. watch for signs from her that she may not like it anymore, and open dialogue. But i bet she will have a great time!
We both work, so our kid was enrolled in the daycare's daycamp last summer and will be this summer too. He loved it. They had arts and crafts, water play, singing/ music, story time, lunch and naptime. He'll be in daycare daycamp this summer too, and probably until he's 5.
I'm sure she'll do fine either way.
F. B.
If you enroll her it does not mean you have to send her everyday.
It's not every day is it? I'd be surprised and if it is, I probably wouldn't send her. If it's like 2-3 days a week for a month I'd do it. She'll love it and it will be great for her to socialize and do structured activities for a few hours. I love camps and both my kids are going to some this year. My 3 y/o is going to a few week long camps this summer, but for his age group they are only like an hour or two so we still have at least half a day or more to bum around. If you are home during the day I would make it so that most of her days are spent with you doing fun things around town, play dates, etc.
Do they have a part time option? Or can you pick and choose certain weeks?
When my oldest was in preschool his school had a different theme every week of the summer. You could sign up for any or all of them. They could also do mornings, afternoons, full day, or 2, 3 or 5 days.
She will not be deprived. If you keep her home.
You will not be deprived if you send her.
It is just day camp.
Of which, I am sure it is not ALL day long for 8 hours.
So she will be home with you, the rest of the day.
So you both, have it both ways.
She is there part of the day.
Then you have her home the rest of the day.
It is not either or.
Does that mean your daughter will go to camp/preschool every day this summer? Or is it a short program - just a week or two? If it's a short program, that might be fun for her.
You could always plan your own "camp" - that is, plan something special to do with your daughter, not every day but once a week. When your daughter is at home, you want to plan her day - both activities and free time. But that's certainly something you can do.
It would be nice if your daughter, given the choice, might say, "I like my school but I want to be with Mama!"
keep her home and take her to the library and the playground. You don't need to entain her every minute but she should have more time at that age where her INDIVIDUAL needs are being met and she isn't being told when to eat and when to pee just because it fits the other children's schedule.
she will continue to thrive at home with you because that's what kids this age do. IT's so awesome to watch and be a part of it. Keep her home.
is is full time? or a few hours a few days a week?
If if is just a few hours 2 days a week I might send her a couple of weeks..
but there is lots of fun for you do to with her go to parks beaches... museaums.. enjoy your time with her they grow up fast and soon she will be in all day school.
It's a little different for me because I work all year, but when my son was little I was lucky that I had summer Fridays off. He went to pre-k "camp" Mondays - Thursdays and then I made special plans with him on Fridays (usually we took a ride to grandpa's but we visited friends also and occasionally took long weekends at the beach). That worked out great because he had all of the fun social interaction with his friends and an extra day with me each week.
The day camp isn't all day is it? If not, then let her go and spread her wings! You will still have quality time with her but let her be around other's too. My 10 yo son BEGS us to let him stay at the boys and girls club from when they open at 7am til closing at 6pm. lol Good luck!
I've always sent my boys for one week of day camp (sleepaway camp when they were older) in the summer. They always had a great time, and we still had the rest of the summer together.
Yes, unless you plan on the whole day, every minute of it, being her playmate and total entertainment. She is going to be totally bored and need you to be her stimulation. So send her.
I will say they are only this age once. Why not let her spend the summer with you doing fun things. She has the rest of her life to be scheduled and busy. Let her be 3. I always loved having my kids home. No schedules. We were free to do what we wanted when we woke up in the morning.
