Time to get ready for the Summer break
Getting ready for Summer – yes, yes, we know that there is still three full months until kids bid farewell to their teachers and classmates for their summer break. So you probably think you have tons of time to prepare for the break. Unfortunately, you don’t. Now is the time to line up your child care, camps, family visits and more. Before starting print out your calendar and mark each week for what your plan is.
1. Secure your Child Care NOW. If you are a working mom or dad, there will be roughly 7 hours of the day that you need to find someone to care for your child (unless your plan is for camps which I will get to). Here are my top suggestions for how to find great care for your kids depending on their age
a. Use an agency - in Cincinnati we have things like www.sittercity.com and Home Management services (www.homemanagementserv.com) which can help you find the right match for you, set up interviews, and so forth
b. Word of Mouth – most high school seniors and college Freshman/Sophomores are the perfect age and maturity to take on a summer job. Be sure to check their school calendar and schedule as you may need to bridge some of the summer with planned vacations or camps.
2. Plan your family vacations – While these are important events for the entire family, in the summer they also become a key tool when planning your summer schedule. After you find child care, then plan your vacations around any weeks or dates that you do not have childcare. These are often the middle to end of August when college students go back to school, or the first week after school ends. If you take vacations with other families, be sure to plan even earlier as you are now managing even more variables.
3. Book your camps. As kids get older some families and children rely on camps for a large portion of the summer rather than a sitter. Sleep away camps, sports camps, park district camps, and so forth often offer full day coverage. You can plan an entire summer of camps for your kids and not have to secure a sitter if you choose, but it does take a lot of effort on your part. Many camps fill up quickly so be sure to get online and understand when registration opens up. If you have multiple kids that will go to different camps, be sure you can manage drop off and pick up times. Often families need to hire a part-time sitter to help manager this aspect of the summer.
4. Renew your memberships to children’s activates. If you go with a sitter for the summer, be sure to renew your memberships to amusement parks, swim clubs and rec centers to have activities for the sitter to do with your children. Don’t forget to get a pass for the sitter. The Cincinnati Zoo allows you to “add a person” to your membership which we do each year. Others you will need an additional pass.
1. Secure your Child Care NOW. If you are a working mom or dad, there will be roughly 7 hours of the day that you need to find someone to care for your child (unless your plan is for camps which I will get to). Here are my top suggestions for how to find great care for your kids depending on their age
a. Use an agency - in Cincinnati we have things like www.sittercity.com and Home Management services (www.homemanagementserv.com) which can help you find the right match for you, set up interviews, and so forth
b. Word of Mouth – most high school seniors and college Freshman/Sophomores are the perfect age and maturity to take on a summer job. Be sure to check their school calendar and schedule as you may need to bridge some of the summer with planned vacations or camps.
2. Plan your family vacations – While these are important events for the entire family, in the summer they also become a key tool when planning your summer schedule. After you find child care, then plan your vacations around any weeks or dates that you do not have childcare. These are often the middle to end of August when college students go back to school, or the first week after school ends. If you take vacations with other families, be sure to plan even earlier as you are now managing even more variables.
3. Book your camps. As kids get older some families and children rely on camps for a large portion of the summer rather than a sitter. Sleep away camps, sports camps, park district camps, and so forth often offer full day coverage. You can plan an entire summer of camps for your kids and not have to secure a sitter if you choose, but it does take a lot of effort on your part. Many camps fill up quickly so be sure to get online and understand when registration opens up. If you have multiple kids that will go to different camps, be sure you can manage drop off and pick up times. Often families need to hire a part-time sitter to help manager this aspect of the summer.
4. Renew your memberships to children’s activates. If you go with a sitter for the summer, be sure to renew your memberships to amusement parks, swim clubs and rec centers to have activities for the sitter to do with your children. Don’t forget to get a pass for the sitter. The Cincinnati Zoo allows you to “add a person” to your membership which we do each year. Others you will need an additional pass.
posted by Millennium Mom at
7:28 AM
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