The Challenges of Summer

By Maria Bailey

Help! The kids are out of school. It's only been an hour since the backpacks were unpacked and stored away and already the first signs of boredom are appearing. It's a blistering 95 degrees so ushering them outside isn't going to work. Time to put on my camp director's cap and plan a summer filled with activities that will allow me to get to work everyday on time and entertain my children until I return.

This may seem simple to some but when you have four children all with different interests and only a reasonable budget to spend, it takes more time than planning a wedding. Unlike a wedding where in most cases, the bride and groom are certain to express enjoyment in the actual event, I'm sure that by July 1st at least one child will tell me, "I don't want to go to camp."

The business of summer activities has exploded in the past few years. Just look at all the ads in your local newspaper. Working mothers like us, who need to find a childcare solution for the summer, are fueling this growing industry. No longer do you send a child to the local YMCA with a towel and peanut butter sandwich in the morning. Now it's theatrical or gymnastic camp, computer tutoring, all sports camps and even two-week cabin vacations in Colorado. And these programs come with a large price tag. One camp that sent me a packet of information listed all the great activities as well as the $360 program fee. It didn't take me long to figure out the two weeks of this day camp would cost me over $1,000 for my three oldest children. That's two months of private school tuition for the same three children! Go figure, I'm paying $1,000 for young adults home from college to swim and play with my children. I want that job!

The challenge is to create a summer full of good memories for my children without going broke. Now do you understand my fear of summer? Then there's the impact on my house. Four children hanging out on the couch all day can go through a lot of food and when they are done, the carpet-cleaning bill for the spilled juice boxes should just about eat up whatever savings I had by not sending them to the $360 camp. Now don't get me wrong, I know less expensive camps are out there and I'll find them but not without spending some time searching. At my hourly rate, I figure I'll get everyone scheduled at the cost of $1,000. If someone would pay to be program director of the Bailey house, I might be able to afford that expensive two-week camp.

Keep your fingers crossed for me. It's summer in the Bailey household.

Share your thoughts on our message board or email Maria.

Also see:
• Week Thirty-Eight -- The teachers that shape our lives
• Week Thirty-Seven -- Reuniting with old friends
• Week Thirty-Six -- Tips for managing a large family
• Week Thirty-Five --Fulfilling my dreams
• Week Thirty-Four --Parenting approaches
• Week Thirty-Three -- Combining a business trip with spring break
• Week Thirty-Two -- Making Spring Break plans
• Week Thirty-One -- Importance of a Support System
• Week Thirty -- Life is good
• Week Twenty-nine -- My nine year anniversary
• Week Twenty-Eight --Does birth order matter?
• Week Twenty-Seven -- Things we take for granted
• Week Twenty-Six -- My youngest turned two
• Week Twenty-Five -- Losing someone you love
• Week Twenty-Four -- Where's the romance in Valentine's Day?
• Week Twenty-Three -- The call I've been waiting for
• Week Twenty-Two -- Where did the weekend go?
• Week Twenty-One -- Business trip challenges
• Week Twenty -- Girl Scout cookie time
• Week Nineteen -- Thoughts on motherhood
• More diary entries

Maria Bailey is the CEO and founder of BlueSuitMom.com and a mother of four children under the age of seven.