Let's try something a little lighter -
What kind of experiences should children have in the summer ?
Yesterday I tweeted about a Computer Science summer camp for girls. It allowed girls to be on computers for the week, exploring all of the capacity; games, puzzles, apps, programming, art, math, music etc. There were female speakers in the computer science field. It sounded really interesting but I wondered how you could make an equal offering for boys.
So as a parent Do you want .. sports.. down time.. reading (forced?) .. travel.. pool.. chores.. camps (day or sleep away). Should kids be connected , disconnected ? On bikes and out alone.. or in structured programs ?.. what ages is that OK ?. Our childhood summers seem very different from a perfect summer for our children. Are we missing educational opportunities ? , should school be year round ?
What are your kids doing this summer ??
I want downtime. I want my children to be able to create their own fun. I remember summers and never being bored because I was able to find something to do with very limited supplies. My imagination and a Barbie doll and I was set for hours. Many children seem to lack this ability to make their own fun. Too much structure in their lives. And, no, school should not be year round.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue- Very valid opinion. I agree that all of the technology and scheduling has robbed today's youth of their ability to create fun. But on the other hand, they have to have a lot more skills in managing and organizing than we ever had to have, and they definitely will need more of those as the world gets more and more complex. But downtime is definitely a unique summer opportunity and I am sure your kids are grateful you have those priorities! Don't worry I don't want school all year either 180 days is plenty, but maybe they could be arranged a little differently ??
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure my kids are grateful that I have those priorities. Kira has been jealous of her friends going off to fabulous camp adventures that I could not possibly afford. But, even if I could afford to schedule up every bit of their days, I wouldn't. I really do believe they need to figure out how to play on their own.
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