What the hell happened?  I know it’s been 30 years, but so much has changed.  For me, a huge change is economic.  My parents didn’t have any money, so even if I wanted to go to camp, we could never have afforded it anyway.  Also, I only remember camps where you went away for a week and stayed in some cabin and cried for your Mom.  I think I just watched it on TV and had no idea.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever personally met anyone in my age group that actually went away to camp.  Was it even real?

I also don’t remember all these “day camps” being around back in the day.  I know I went to one “day camp”, but it wasn’t called that.  I can’t remember much but they took us swimming and we got a tshirt.  I also remember playing some games and having a sack lunch, so yeah, we did something similar to today’s “camp” mania.  But today, there’s a camp for everything you can think of.  From cooking to archery to robotics.  If you can think it, there’s a camp for it.

Just this week, PJ went to Mike Hovenic’s soccer camp and it was packed.  Probably 150 kids.  This is like every camp we’ve been to, every summer, for the past 2 years.  Packed!  In fact, we usually have to book our summer camps by April, just to make sure we have a spot.  The recession seemed to make this year a bit more chill, but still, I’m feeling pressure should we decide to do any other camps this summer.

We started signing PJ up for these “summer day camp” things a few years ago.  This was when we lived in the heart of the city and in a neighborhood with NO kids.  PJ, being an only child [MJ wasn't born yet] and me, being a SAHM, Ken and I felt compelled to at least get her some socialization.  I’m a pretty cool Mom, but even I get bored of me, so poor PJ needed a break [ok, I admit, I needed one too].

So, we signed her up for Seaworld camp and a Critter Camp, at the Helen Woodward center.  And thus started our camp tradition.  2 camps a summer.

Anyway, now, we live in a neighborhood with quite a few kids whom play together all the time.  We have a swimming pool, an air hockey table, Wii console games, tons of sports equipment and lots of parks in the neighborhood.  So…why in the world am I paying for camp, as are all the other neighborhood parents?

OK, part of it IS learning.  PJ LOVES soccer and Mike’s camps are very good skills camps.  So, yeah, soccer camp is part learning and part fun.  But I know people who have their kids in various camps all summer long and they aren’t working parents either.  One mom flat out told me, “Well, the kids will get so bored.  And, they’ll drive me crazy!”  Bored?  Crazy?  What kid today could possibly get bored today?  They all have so much friggin’ crap!  Crazy?  OK, that, I buy.  But that’s $150 to $200 bucks a camp!  So much for a recession.

After all this smack talk, I have to admit.  Today, I promised PJ she could pick another camp for the summer, but just one.  She got really excited, then the bell rang.  Off she scampered and forgot all about picking.  Instead, all the kids in the neighborhood piled into our game room to play air hockey, then ran outside to play volleyball and ended the afternoon with “rockband” on the wii.

So tell me again, why am I looking for another camp?  Oh yeah, I know, because we parents “think” our kids will get bored.  We’re so concerned about raising lazy, TV addicted, mush brains that we make damn sure they won’t have a chance to think about it.  But really, PJ seems very content to just watch cartoons till 10, stay in her pajamas till noon and play with her friends till dinner.   It’s me.  I feel the need to organize her life.  Like most parents today.  Is it competition, “keeping up with the Jones” or just habit?

Well, the true test comes in August.  I’m “assuming”, PJ will be somewhat bored by then and a 2nd camp will be a blessing.  The cartoons will be played out, the kids will start getting sick of each other and life will become monotonous.  So, yeah.  I’m reserving one more camp.  I’ll let you know in August, if it was a waste of money or not.

~ Renae