Life Notes
By Stacy Hawkins Adams
Theme: Planning Summer Fun on a Tight Budget
Fewer children may attend camp or go on vacation this summer because the economic climate has led to company cutbacks or closures that have affected many families’ bottom line.
Some parents have found themselves suddenly unemployed and plan to search for work with children underfoot when the school year ends.
Others may be working longer hours for less pay and haven’t determined how to fit camp fees into an already strained budget.
Still, others, uncertain about whether their jobs are safe, have decided to tread with caution and cut back. They may plan to rely on a neighbor or relative to provide care rather than one or more camps.
The danger in such a summer is that kids may spend too much time in front of the television, which parenting and health experts site as a big ‘no no.’
According to www.kidshealth.org, children who spend more than four hours a day watching TV are more likely to be overweight. They also are routinely exposed to programs and commercials that glorify risky behaviors, without providing context about the consequences of engaging in these behaviors.
However, the beauty of a more laid-back, less structured summer is the opportunity it gives kids to just “be,” without the demands of a rigid schedule. This, in turn, offers parents and their children chances to think more creatively about how and where to find fun.
Liz Pearce, executive director of the Richmond-based Commonwealth Parenting Center, encourages Moms and Dads to foster enthusiasm for their decision to make different choices this summer by couching the changes as exciting.
“If you’re spending time in Richmond, explore different opportunities to experience (the area) in a different way,” Pearce said. “There are so many things in Richmond that are free or low cost that you can put a twist on and experience differently.”
Pearce’s suggestions including the following;
- Consider the possibilities.
“Dig deeper with your kids to discover what they want to learn about, (such as) how much food can a goat eat in a summer? Or, what goes on behind the scenes in the bear cage at [a local zoo or park]?”
- Be your own tour guide.
“Visit a different library each week and compare which one has the most comfortable chairs or which one has the best computer section.”
- Involve your children in the process.
“Ask your kids what they want to do. They may surprise you. If they are in elementary school or middle school, let them get on the computer and research where to go and what to do. Give them a budget, a radius you’ll travel in, and let them come up with some ideas.”
- Explore alternatives together.
“There’s a great brainstorm activity in which you ask, ‘If we could do anything we want this summer and we had a million dollars, what would we do?’ They kids might say, ‘Go on a cruise around the world,’ or ‘Buy our own plane.’
Then you ask, ‘Which of these things can we do without spending a lot of money?’
A lot of the things they come up with – like visiting a new place – you can do. It may not be Paris, France, but you can visit a new place in the area, even if it’s the Richmond Zoo.”
- Enjoy simplifying.
“The positive outcome of these tight financial times is that families are going to rediscover that they enjoy each other’s company. Kids are going to rediscover the joy of (games like) Kick the Can and Red Rover, and make up their own games.”
Whether a parent is temporarily at home or working longer hours to make ends meet, what will be critical this summer, and beyond, is making sure your children know you value them, Pearce said.
“Kids want our time so much more than our money,” she said. “If we can carve out a Saturday morning for taking a walk around the neighborhood, that’s what they want.”
© Stacy Hawkins Adams
Resources:
Read your local community newspapers and visit online sites geared to touting your region to find information about local and regional events that are family-friendly and free or low-cost.
