With the long summer holidays ahead of us, most parents will
be thinking of how they are going to occupy their children.
Some mothers positively look forward to the holidays. To the
lack of regime, the relaxed atmosphere and no buses, car
pools or deadlines to meet in the mornings. This has nothing
whatever to do with the size of the family. It depends on the
temperament of the children and of the mother/father. Other
parents dread the onset of the holidays with all the children
home all day with nothing to do and six weeks or more to do
it in.
There are many girls nowadays who want to earn a little extra
money, and organize day camps for young children. This is
splendid occupation for teenage girls and also excellent
experience in planning and organization. They will not be
bored in their long summer holiday. But do you really
want your younger children to go there? Are these girls just
glorified babysitters, or are your children going to benefit
from the experience while having a good time? Many of the
girls who run these camps are quite young yet do a wonderful
job. They have prepared well, consulted with older friends
who have run a camp in former years and perhaps involved
their long suffering mothers, too.
The kind mothers who agree to let their premises be used must
realize that this is not a sinecure. They are in for a hard
time if their girls are conscientious. If they are not, the
mothers will have an even more difficult time. One mother
told me last year that she was left clearing up the mess left
by eighteen little girls every day and that it was the first
and last time she would ever agree to such a thing. Well,
excuse me, lady, if your girl is old enough to run a day
camp, she is also old enough to obey some simple rules to
facilitate the running of it!
Two or three girls may join forces to recruit potential
customers, and to run the camp together. This can work out
very well, indeed. On the other hand, it has happened that
two girls who were good friends before they started the
enterprise have fallen out by the end of the first week. One
is perhaps more domineering than the other, or one thinks
that the other is not pulling her weight. Or, if one day was
not sucessful, they may blame each other. Once again, this is
very good experience for girls to learn how to get along with
others under sometimes trying circumstances.
In many places, there is a great deal of competition for
participants in the day camps. If you are sending your child
to one, find out who else is going! And if your daughter is
one of those running it and is asking your advice, tell her
to be choosy in her clients. There are, unfortunately, some
children who are unruly in a structured classrooom, but
completely unmanageable in a loose holiday atmosphere.
Advise your daughter not to attempt activities which are too
difficult for the children. Remember: they are on vacation.
They want to enjoy their day camp. She should try things out
and see how easy it will be for little fingers which are not
as agile as hers to do the craft she is planning. If she is
going to take three or four of your own children into her
camp, it will be even more worthwhile helping her.
Above all else, the girls must prepare each day's activities
really well. Leave nothing to chance. If they don't manage
those activities for some reason, they can keep the plan for
another day. If she is having the children for two weeks,
prepare 12 days of activities and if she is left with some
activities to spare, it really doesn't matter. Large black or
white plastic bin liners with holes cut out for the head and
arms protect clothes very efficiently if the children are
going to paint or make cookies. (Remind them that these are
special bags and that they must never play with a bag or use
it without supervision.)
Even songs and obviously stories must be prepared in advance.
Bored children become restless and naughty. Hungry children
also become restless, so make quite sure that mothers send a
sandwich or snack. In England, for instance, where the day
begins late, the children have probably eaten breakfast
before they come, in which case it may be easier for the
leaders to provide a drink and some pretzels, rather than
each child bringing a variety of foods from home.
Some girls who run these camps do it so well that the
children go home feeling fulfilled each day. It happens
though, that some children refuse to go back to the camps
after a few days. They feel discontented and dissatisfied. An
abundance of snacks and sweets will not improve matters if
there are not enough activities planned. If girls plan to
take them out to the park, for instance, they must make sure
they have enough personnel for that amount of children. It is
quite a responsibility for them.
Mothers who had not thought of occupying their teenagers in
this way may like to give it a little thought and encourage
their girls to try their hand at this interesting and
creative way of spending a few weeks. Even if they do not
earn very much at it, or perhaps nothing at all by the time
they have bought the materials for arts and crafts and
treats/prizes for the children, the big girls will feel they
have achieved something. And they will have!
