Every year, parents and children alike are looking forward to having summer camps. This event is that one time in a year when kids are participating in activities they love and meet new friends.
Whether it is the first time or the last time of kids, this year is like any other year because everyone is excited about it. Especially now that kids have been staying at home for more than a month, summer camps are like the glimmer of hope of going back to normal.
However, because of the pandemic, camps are being canceled.
The cancellations have brought disappointment not only to kids but also to parents as well. That is according to a report from Today.com.
For First-Time Campers
Sara Zober has two children who are both set to attend summer camps in Ohio. This year's summer camp is supposed to be her youngest daughter's first sleep away. She shared that as Jewish, skipping the camp, which is one of the children's favorite Jewish experience, is a sad thing. She described this experience of her kids as "skipping a year of seeing friends in person."
For campers who planned this summer to be their resume-booster
Jacinta Townsend Gides, a mother of two, sends her daughters to music and art camps. She finds this time of the year as the chance of her children to step away from academics and do things that they love to do.
Gides' oldest daughter was supposed to have her last summer camp this year. Her daughter is set to go to college next year, so for the past months, her eldest has planned to use her supposed experience as a way to boost her resume for college applications.
According to Gides, it did not only disappoint her daughter, but the sudden changes also caused a lot of impact on her. What the family is trying to do now is maximize the time and look for safe activities that may be good enough for college applications.
Some kids took the cancellations well
Keith Strudler has ten and twelve-year-old sons. Both boys were set to attend a camp in Poconos. Although it is his younger son's first time, he took the news well. According to Strudler, his eldest, in particular, is sad, but both of the boys understood that it was something that is bound to happen.
What worries the parents?
Apart from what the kids are feeling, parents are afraid of what kids would be doing for the entire summer. They worry about how they would be able to entertain their kids during a time when these kids are expected to be outside, doing something that they love.
Gides specifically felt that her kids might spend more time on Snapchat, which she considers a little horrifying.
What are the plans of parents?
Despite the disappointment, parents feel they still have the responsibility to keep their children busy.
Gides, for example, would like to use this chance to garden with her girls.
Zober, on the other hand, said they plan to run a religious school programming. However, this would still be conditional to whether social distancing restrictions or guidelines will allow them to do so.
