Remember being a kid and counting down the days till summer break? Did I say kid? Because I really meant adult. And it probably wasn’t that hard for you to remember last week, when you were dreaming about summer break. Turns out kids aren’t the only ones yearning for summer break. Vacations, warm weather, beaches; these are all things kids and kids at heart alike look forward to all year long. A study conducted by The Harris Poll revealed even though over half of parents’ surveyed found summer break to be more stressful, what with camp schedules and daytime activities to be a chauffeur to and from, an even higher percentage of (mostly women) still look forward to summer each year.
Even though the common joke is that extra time with your kids causes stress, one of the main reasons why parents enjoy summer break is because they get to play a part in scheduling their kids’ unforgettable summer, as 90 percent of adults believe that a structured summer is good for kids. Even though childcare is easier to find during summer than during the rest of the year, thanks to things like summer day camps, more than 60 percent of parents will spend more time with their kids at home, especially if that parent is a homemaker. If they stay organized and motivated, parents could even run their own camp of sorts. For instance, they could visit a museum once a week or visit the local library to enjoy some of the free activities offered to kids there. What makes this better than the usual summer camp is the bonding between child and parent.
What defines a summer break changes for kids (and parents) when they reach 13. At that age, summer becomes the perfect season to make some extra cash. Although this time working takes away from quality time spent together, kids will learn a valuable lesson about what it takes to earn a dollar. Depending on how crummy the job is, it may motivate them to try their hardest to do well in school the following year.
While lessons learned in school are valuable, according to The Harris Poll, over 80 percent of parents believed that those learned while in summer camp are just as important. Surprisingly, only about 20percent of those same parents will actually send their kid to a camp over summer break. This is probably due to the many factors that must be considered before enrolling a child in camp. Age, for one, as well as how close it is to home and the accreditation of both the camp and the counselors. If a child is under 10, the majority of parents felt that a day camp was more appropriate, but once they turned 10, sleep away camp was fair game. Whichever option parents choose to keep their kids occupied this summer break, one thing is certain, they’ll be enjoying themselves as well.