Summertime Child Care

Summertime Child Care

I have been in many conversations with parents about how much they love the warmth of summertime but hate the fact that they don’t have much for their children to do during these times. In the fall and spring, they are usually in some sort of school, which takes up most of the kids’ days and parents don’t have to think too hard about where to have their children at a given time. What are the best options for kids of all ages in the summer? Where are you going to put your kids so that they are learning and playing and having good summers while parents keep working – most families have both parents working and they cannot just stop what they are doing to hang out with their kids all day at home. (I know a family who is heavily involved in Lubbock catering gigs and wouldn’t be able to slow down just because their kids are out of school.)

I live in Lubbock and can only speak to my hometown, but I think that most of my suggestions can be found in most other cities. What can kids be a part of nowadays?

1. Basic babysitting – There are a lot of teenagers who are wanting to make some money for the summer. Why not get some good references and find a solid person to take care of your kids.
2. Vacation Bible Schools – There are so many Vacation Bible Schools, which operate on different weeks, that you can get your young kids (Lubbock Pre-K through 3^rd grade) through most of the summer.
3. Sports Camps – Even though these camps cost some money, it might be worth it to gauge your child’s sports interests and to get them into these places. It will keep them off of the constant indoor video games trail and into athletic pursuits.
4. Chess Clubs – I could include reading groups (mini people book clubs) since my focus here is really educational resources. But one great resource that is catching fire is chess. If you can find a chess teaching group at the local college, I highly recommend putting your kids into one. It stretches their brain while showing them how to problem solve. The book clubs are good for them because they can talk with kids their own age about books they like – doesn’t feel like school because there is so much peer engagement.
5. Robotics clubs – I know that in Lubbock there are clubs that teach kids how to create robots, which is super cool. Why not get your children into this fun and academic ride?

Okay – so those are my main suggestions – maybe you can combine some of these options to place your kids into valuable summertime activities. Good luck and feel free to send me your ideas. I’d love to expand the list.