I think we’re going to assume that the pandemic is still a thing and won’t be sending the kids to in-person things. If we didn’t have options for DC1 we would probably do a different cost-benefit analysis because DC1 needs to do *something*, but we figure that there’s not much benefit for DC2, particularly given the poor local options for hir age and hir increased ability to entertain hirself since the pandemic started. DC1 and DC2 are definitely getting different summer experiences, but I’m not sure that either is better or worse.
DC1 is now old enough to work (and our state has surprisingly few restrictions on 15 year olds). So zie will be doing an (unpaid, work-from-home) internship with DH’s company where they have a lot of low-level scut-work programming that needs to get done. It sounds like the CEO would prefer for hir to work in the data-input group where they already have an internship program set up rather than in DH’s group. (Though DH’s group does have quite a bit of low-level programming that needs to get done too.) We’re all hopeful that this will look good on a college application and will be a good experience for hir as well. Additionally it should give DC1 some “in the field” experience with programming which should be helpful. It is nice being privileged and able to pass on some of that privilege to DC1.
DC1 will also be learning how to drive. And will probably be doing a bit more cooking again. Other than that we don’t have any big plans for hir. Maybe trying out some standard college essay prompts?
As for DC2… maybe we will just continue where we left off with homeschooling? Though maybe without the English component. Just the parts that are less work for us. I’ll probably also try to find fun things to do on Outschool. It looks like NIU camps are back to being residential, so not that for us.
If you have children, what are your kids planning for the summer?
Grumpy Rumblings (of the formerly untenured) 
March 2, 2022 at 4:18 am
Minnesota Zoo has some virtual camps again. Did DC2 end up doing any last summer?
March 2, 2022 at 7:37 am
Zie did! One was good and one was meh, according to DC2. We will have to see what they’re offering this year!
March 2, 2022 at 4:27 am
16 year old will be driving, will work and do college applications. Not sure about 13 year old. He doesn’t want to do camps anymore since COVID. Really should think about it. I will have limited vacation ops as I’m taking a lot of it to do college tours during the school year so it’ll be up to my spouse to figure it out.
March 2, 2022 at 7:35 am
DC1 should probably work on college applications, at least in terms of practicing essays. I do wonder if we should go to California (or DH and DC1 go to California) to look at colleges. Or other states that DC1 hasn’t really shown any interest in to promote interest. I don’t know.
I’m not sold that college tours teach much about a college though. They all seem so similar.
March 4, 2022 at 3:45 am
We are going to CA for April break. We went to the southeast last week. At first, my son was like “why are we going to these places when I don’t want to go to school here”. (Answer, because I also want to visit friends in these places). But last week he really liked 2 of the 3 schools we visited and can see himself living there so it was worthwhile. Up in Ma, early action opens up in august for the state schools and that was what our senior friend told us. (That she regretted not getting more done before school started)
March 2, 2022 at 6:54 am
Daughter is going to a robotics camp (OMG $$$) for 2 weeks I think at the beginning of the summer, and then the traditional outdoor camp at a lake she enjoyed going to last summer. It is going to be super annoying to do drop offs and pickups all summer, honestly. Wondering if I should just cancel a few weeks and see how she does hanging out at home playing with the dog and doing low key stuff. She’s pretty low maintenance in the house.
It seems like EVERYONE ins sending their children to sleepaway camp. Daughter has no interest, so we are not doing that. We are planning on visiting my parents in July, and then maybe something else (raod trip? staycation?) during late August. We shall see.
March 2, 2022 at 7:32 am
My mom was a big believer in sleepaway camp and we both did at least a week every summer starting in middle school. I think DC1 has only been to a couple sleepaway camps, one on purpose (a week-long marine biology camp) and the other an engineering camp we thought zie could go to as a daycamp but for that year only they said no local kids as daycamp, only sleepaway, which was silly (the next year they allowed reduced price daycampers again– apparently the hassle of letting locals take their kids to games and practices in the evenings was just as much as letting all daycampers get picked up).
I don’t know if we will be doing anything with DH’s family this summer. Pre-pandemic we would have planned and booked for months by now! But I guess we’ve been playing it by ear since then. I wonder if Wisconsin Dells is compatible with Omicron 1b.
March 2, 2022 at 7:24 am
I have been derelict about planning much of anything. First week of no school, we have a short camping trip planned. We might tag onto that (add another week), or not. Following week and 1 week in August, DC has an outdoor sports camp. He’ll probably find some work around the neighborhood (pet care, house care, yard care). DS is having a joint replaced this summer, so some of my time will be tied up taking care of him post-op and DC will be left to his own devices. My main goal will be to make sure that those aren’t all screens (unless he is doing something productive/learning-related on them, which based on prior history is unlikely). We’ll muddle through.
March 2, 2022 at 7:25 am
sigh. DS = DH, i.e., it’s DH getting the surgery.
March 2, 2022 at 7:27 am
DC2 is addicted to scishow on youtube… (This morning zie informed DC1 who was running late prior to taking the SAT that stress caused teenagers to have pimples according to scishow.)
DS could be dear spouse!
March 2, 2022 at 9:42 am
Why an unpaid internship for DC1? It seems that there is real work to be done and that their work will have some value to the company as well as DC1. A token stipend wouldn’t be out of order. Just curious. I’ll probably try to find a laboratory internship for my DC1. This will be our first summer without a full time nanny, and I’m completely in denial and have made no effort to make plans yet. I need to get going on this! I’m sad to hear that the NIU camps are back in person, the minecraft camp you talked about last year sounded like something all of my kids would love.
March 2, 2022 at 1:21 pm
Because DC1 is only 15 and the company is doing this as a favor to DH who works there. I think it will be easiest for all involved if it is unpaid.
March 2, 2022 at 10:26 am
I think the short answer is that I’m going to be watching the replies to this post for ideas.
My kid is finishing kindergarten. Our only summer plans for her historically have been either daycare or lockdown. During lockdowns, I had to stop working to do the mom thing. This year… I’ve been able to get some work done when I had to with her at home, but it’s a strain and hard to feel good about the experience or the results. Both my parenting and my work don’t meet the best level when they’re both calling for my attention at the same time.
I’ve looked at local daycamps, but am not sure I want to do them. Partly because of the pandemic, partly because even without a pandemic in the mix, the hours don’t cover a full workday or even 2/3 of one. Plus I would really like something with more of an educational component than what I’m finding. I haven’t stopped looking, but haven’t been encouraged by the options yet.
I may end up doing something like a mix of Outschool, library trips, and being really careful about the projects I accept over the summer. (Organized leaders, nothing with known tough personalities on the team.)
March 2, 2022 at 1:23 pm
Preschool year round really was a great option. We’ve had to scramble with both kids, but hopefully having them home will be manageable.
March 3, 2022 at 8:50 am
Preschool in general was a great option. The way options are run for K+ kids feels really stuck in the past. Even without the pandemic it would’ve been difficult, which is news to no one.
About the only good thing to come of the current situation is that I’ve been using the money that would’ve gone to aftercare to make donations to child-related things. We’ll see how the summer works out as far as that goes.
March 2, 2022 at 11:35 am
After expressing no interest ever in sleepaway camp, all three kids are going this year. Two of them will go the same week, but darn that’s a lot of driving (four hours each way). The rest of the time they will hang out at the pool and play tennis. I’m hoping that a lot of their friends will also be around to play with rather than in camps. We have our nanny two days a week so I can fully concentrate on work those days and the other days I kind of cobble it together. I try to work less and spend more time with the kids in the summer. Oldest will have high school tennis practice every day and will be working on putting in his driving practice hours. He’ll also go to a music camp (also four hours away) with his orchestra toward the end of the summer. We have a family vacation planned in the middle of the summer and may do a camping weekend with friends. I am afraid it’s all just going to fly by.
March 2, 2022 at 2:12 pm
Oh gosh… we need to think about family vacation…
March 2, 2022 at 1:56 pm
“It sounds like the CEO would prefer for hir to work in the data-input group where they already have an internship program set up rather than in DH’s group.” Or it could be an opportunity to create an internship program in your DH’s group! Stealing all the good ideas from the one for the date-input group.
March 2, 2022 at 2:24 pm
The CEO indicated that he would prefer DC1 join the already existing internship program when DH suggested his own group.
March 2, 2022 at 4:31 pm
Outschool is starting up summer pods if anyone is interested. We liked using them for some types of classes in the past two years.
We’ve been looking for outdoor activities, and safe masked indoor activities, for JB for the summer in addition to their online learning. I’ll probably set up tutoring and Spanish lessons five day a week, and we’ll want something physical for them in addition to that. I hoped for swim but it might have to be something else since the swim classes are so full up this spring. We’ll see.