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Race for Your Life - Camp Stay-At-Home Mom

A guide to the 'Camp Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM)!'

Camp Stay-at-Home-Mom (SAHM) is something we all engage in at some point within our range of responsibilities as mom, right? Funny that no-one warned us about this when we started a family. If you are planning on taking some extra time with your kids this summer, this article will hopefully fuel you with some inspiration on how to richen and plan out your kids days over summer break.

The idea to cover this topic came to me because I recently overheard moms at my kids preschool saying that they are keeping the kids home this summer and saving the cash they would have spent on a day camp.  Mother of two Nicole Lewis feels the same way, “I think camps are really expensive so we decided not to do camp this year. Instead, we are doing Camp Mom and I plan to have activities each day.” The reality is that it isn’t easy being Camp SAHM and with so many moms doing it (including myself), I thought it would be worth-while to take a look at how to make this Camp-SAHM thing super fun - in a flexible but organized sort of a way!

1. First thing we need to do is set a schedule

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Yup, set a schedule just as you do all year long. Pull out a calendar and figure out how you want your days within the weeks to flow. Your goal is to have a plan at the beginning of each week so that both you and your kids know what to expect. For example, you can designate 2 days a week for home activities and get-togethers with friends, 2 days a week for outings, and perhaps 1 day a week the kids can choose what they want to do. Designate weekends as family fun time. It’s essential to have the kids contribute to the planning out of each week’s activities as well as for them to have chores to complete each week.

2. Commit to a Summer of Fun

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By committing I mean have your kids capture the different things they do through taking pictures, making artwork or videos and then making a scrapbook out of their experiences. For example, if your kids are growing a garden have them photograph the different stages of their garden growing so they can see how it changes through the summer. They will love working on “projects” throughout the summer and boy can these be sweet keepsakes for them!

 3. Lazy Days at home

At-home days can drag if the schedule is a little too unstructured. First thing is too set time limits on TV. Simply set the rule that everyday, home or not, the TV goes off at a specific time. This action will set the stage for the day. Have your play dates scheduled in advance and pick a consistent time for these dates to start. Have your activities top of mind by having a written out list of your kids favorite things to do. Sometime kids even need to be reminded what they enjoy doing! On those at-home days have you kids complete their chores for the week so that they don’t need to worry about on the days you are out. Here are some at-home activity suggestions:

  • Water/sprinkler fun
  • Riding bikes/scooters
  • Sidewalk chalk
  • Hide-n-seek
  • Collecting flowers
  • Tending to the garden or yard
  • Making smoothies or snow cones
  • Sandbox fun
  • Arts and crafts
  • Bubbles
  • Playing Sports
  • Reading
  • Pretend play 

4. Get out there!

Planning weekly outings doesn’t mean every outing needs to be an expense. Yes, occasionally it will cost you, but there are also many fun outings to seek out that are free and there for you to enjoy. Have your kids contribute to planning the outings so it is a group decision. Just like your at home days, enforce the TV timer, and set expectations for the day. Moms also check with your local library for discounted passes to visit many of the wonderful museums and zoos. Sometimes these places also have “free” days where they waive or discount admission prices so it’s worth it to do your homework. Ideas for outings may include:

  • Plan a Picnic
  • Take trips to the beach or a pool
  • Visit museums or zoos 
  • Take in summer concerts or a circus
  • Go to Ball games
  • Try Mini-golf
  • Seek out a new nature trail and hike
  • Find a new bike path and bring your bikes
  • Take a trip to the city
  • Pick-your-own fruits and veggies at the farm
  • Volunteer on a farm or for a local charity
  • Check out free library programs
  • Play ball with friends at a park or field
  • Go fishing
  • Go out for Ice cream sundae’s!

 5. Remember to feed your kids Healthy Nutritious Food

It can be such a job keeping track of everyone eating every day, especially when the kitchen is so easily accessible and they keep opening and closing cabinets non-stop. This is so annoying, isn’t it!? Keeping the munchkins well-fed with nutritious foods and setting your meal/snacking schedule in place from the start will actually help contribute to successful days. Nutritious eating and snacking will help lessen whining and moodiness from the kids. Sugary foods can contribute to the dips and lulls (aka mood-swings) so stick with whole foods such as fruits, foods high in proteins and fibers. These foods will fuel the kids with tons of good energy and keep them satisfied longer. Do your best to designate meal-times and snack-times just as they are used to in school. For more info on nutritious snacking be sure to check out next week’s column. Michelle Mix, registered dietitian and the Nutrition Coordinator for Hannaford’s Supermarket, will provide some very helpful tips on this topic. 

Best of luck to all of the Mom's & Dad's this summer. Please feel free to share your own great ideas and experiences in the comments. Pulling the Race For Your Life Camps Guides together has been a lot of fun and it makes me want to give my kids a little of everything this summer!  I hope that whatever it is you are planning for your family that you find a little time for yourself too. Mom’s, have yourselves a wonderful Mother’s Day this Sunday!

Contact me if you have personal story or experience you'd like to share. Maybe you could be a feature some week! E-mail me at melissa_mccormack2@yahoo.com or 

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