Parents Full time working parents who use full time daycamp in summer - how do you accommodate summer hours?

[Tulip811]

Just learned that my daughter will likely have practice 2-5pm next summer. if you Work full time and typically use daycamp in summer for full day coverae 8:30-5:30pm how do you accomodate daytime practice hours? Up until this point all practices have been in the evenings (5-8pm) for my 9yo on the Xcel track.

 

[Getoutyall]

When my daughter first started with both worked in the office full time. Her gym had a camp so she would do camp 8-11 they would pull her for lunch and to relax for a bit and then she'd practice 12-4. She was the only team girl who did this for the two summers we had this schedule (although they said other girls in the past had done it). She really ended up liking it to my surprise and all the coaches knew who she was which was a plus. I think she liked it cause it gave her that extra attention like if they needed someone to demonstrate something they would call her over or if they were running a clinic they would ask for her help. So it ended up working out for us.

 

[gymbeam]

Maybe the gym can offer a morning camp for others in the same position? Or find a half day camp somewhere else and a mid-day driver? Can you leave for lunch and do a midday transport?

I know it’s hard but thankfully you’ve been given a long advanced notification and you’ll find a solution.

Maybe post on your local Facebook groups asking for half day camp options. Do you know a local teen you’d trust to do the driving maybe? Or a teen that may even babysit in the morning AND drive her? For a kid looking for a summer job that would be a good gig!

Good luck!

 

[gymbeam]

Also, in the end if you get it worked out, I bet you’ll love having your evenings free and that time with her. <3

Oh, and one other idea is to see if another team mom wants a part time gig of keeping her in the mornings? Or even a young PT coach at the gym may like the extra cash?

 

[twinmomma]

It drives me absolutely insane that coaches/gyms think it's reasonable to have practices during traditional working hours. Half the time I'm cutting it close getting my daughter to gym by 5:30, and I leave work early to do it. But sure, I'll be able to get her there by 1pm or 9am and be able to pick her up at some other random time during my work day. Coaches, weigh in here, because this is honestly infuriating.

 

[bookworm]

I hired a college student to transport my girls in the summer on the days I was working.

 

[MuggleMom]

I was actually annoyed when my daugther had summer practice at night this year. I like summer day hours cause I actually get to spend time with her after work before she goes to bed and see my other child more too. Also the gym is less crowded they get more access to equipment (no rec kids during the day) and they are there when the higher level optional coaches are there and get to work with them sometimes. My DD who went at night didnt get that. Now I will say my husband works from home and we have family that helps with transportation issues. I know other parents have had serious logistical issues with day hours in the summer.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Relatives, friends...... moved to the overnight shift and spend much of my summer sleep deprived.

Currently fortunate enough to be part time, but still overnights and sleep deprived

 

[Cmumgym]

It drives me absolutely insane that coaches/gyms think it's reasonable to have practices during traditional working hours. Half the time I'm cutting it close getting my daughter to gym by 5:30, and I leave work early to do it. But sure, I'll be able to get her there by 1pm or 9am and be able to pick her up at some other random time during my work day. Coaches, weigh in here, because this is honestly infuriating.

Some coaches who actually coach those hours would be in the same boat If they have children too. It’s their job aswell and I’m pretty sure that night hours or day hours or having gym during typical 9-5 job hours they would have the same issue with having to find a babysitter. Driver and also miss out on their families. It’s a compromise for all involved throughout the whole year. Hours that are set distrupt Atleast more than some in someway. It’s the solutions that help not aganizing over why

 

[mommyof1]

My daughter had morning practices for four summers. For the first two summers, I would drop her off at the gym, drive home and work during practice, drive back to pick her up, drive her across town to drop her at half-day camp for the afternoon, drive to my office, work for a few more hours, then drive home. It added up to more than four hours a day of driving, three days a week one summer and four days a week the next. It drove me absolutely bonkers.

The next two years she attended day camp at an after-school sports program that provided transportation to the gym. I wish it had been available sooner.

 

[mommyof1]

What I don’t understand is why gyms that have summer daytime practice don’t offer an add-on full-day camp option. They could make a ton of money this way, and it could provide great summer jobs for older team kids too.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

What I don’t understand is why gyms that have summer daytime practice don’t offer an add-on full-day camp option. They could make a ton of money this way, and it could provide great summer jobs for older team kids too.

Our gym does this but it’s only 9-3. Still making it difficult. I’m still sleep deprived

 

[kendo348]

For families without available transportation options, yes it is difficult to have half-day summer practices. But it’s also an opportunity for the family to spend evenings together, something which is really important and in short supply during the school year. As mentioned above the decision is probably made by coaches who are thinking about their own families and work schedules as well, and I don’t begrudge them taking the option to keep their summer evenings free from work. If they chose to have evening practice, there would be parents unhappy about that too. You can’t please everyone.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

. But it’s also an opportunity for the family to spend evenings together, something which is really important and in short supply during the school year

This

It’s only been 2 weeks and I already miss a nice leisurely family dinner most nights.

 

[CuriousCate]

I feel your pain. Our gym will do this next summer as well but the problem is that they will not keep the same time each day! two days 8-1, two day 1-5, and one day 3-7. It totally wiped part day camp out of the equation for us... I'm just going to have to hire a part time nanny to help, which I'm really not looking forward to.

If it was all the same times, I'd probably look for a half day camp that offered a "lunch bunch" option to end at 1pm and then hire someone to drive her to practice or carpool with a PT or SAH parent (ie they bring my child to gym and I bring theirs home). ONly way I could make something like that work.

 

[mommyof1]

I feel your pain. Our gym will do this next summer as well but the problem is that they will not keep the same time each day! two days 8-1, two day 1-5, and one day 3-7. It totally wiped part day camp out of the equation for us... I'm just going to have to hire a part time nanny to help, which I'm really not looking forward to.

That is nuts! At least they let you know early so you have time to make arrangements. Where we live, day camp sign-ups are in early January.

One year, the gym initially told us summer practice would be during the day, then in May decided that my daughter's group would be the only compulsory group to practice in the afternoon, then switched it back to mornings the week before the summer schedule went into effect. I had to scramble to switch my daughter from afternoon camps to all-day camps, then back to afternoons. We were very fortunate that there were camp openings that late in the game.

 

[Exgymmomx3]

I had 3 girls on 3 different teams and one summer their hours were 9-12, 12-3, and 3-6. We lived 45 minutes away from the gym. It was horrible!

 

[Mommysunshine]

This summer our gym had the older girls practicing starting at 10 or 11 depending on the day and younger at 8. DD is older and the only time I could drop off was 8, and I had to ask family members to pick her up. I let the coach know that DD was coming in early to help with the younger kids. It took about 2 weeks for DD to really start helping much, but the coaches found opportunities for her to help, and the younger gymnasts enjoyed working with her. It was really good for DD also. I'm sure this would not work at every gym but I'm thankful we found a solution that worked for us.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I had 3 girls on 3 different teams and one summer their hours were 9-12, 12-3, and 3-6. We lived 45 minutes away from the gym. It was horrible!

The same gym!!!!???

 

[twinmomma]

The same gym!!!!???

I'm guessing different levels.