Summer Break — Oh the Joy!
The pain of filling that time between school years.
Summer break is fast approaching. A time when kids countdown to days filled with playdates, camps, sports, water fun, and anything BUT homework. A time when parents shell out money and figure out schedules and carpools to get the kids to said activities.
Unless you are the parent to a teen who has a cognitive or physical disability or chronic illness. Then you have to spend hours researching the ins and outs of these places to make sure they are an appropriate fit for your child. The research will whittle the list down to a select few. And, if you’re like me, that means the select few come with big price tags, have limited space, are 45 minutes away, and have hours like 9:30 am — 2 pm (not at all convenient for a working parent).
I agonized every winter (yes, that’s how far in advance you need to plan summer breaks — a lesson learned the hard way) how to keep my daughter busy during the LONG break between school years. Emily had trouble with balance, use of only one hand, and a cognitive disability, along with diagnoses of various chronic illnesses. She also loved to draw, write stories, socialize with friends, dance, and eat copious amounts of chocolate. She laughed easily but also got bored easily.
