If Olivia and Peter’s swimming lessons were outdoors, I’d wager about half of the sessions would have been rained out by now.
You ever have the feeling that the summer is almost over when it’s just begun? Seasoned parents know that we need to be on the ball with planning out programs and trips or they just won’t happen. Thing is, having the whole summer planned out feels so… structured. So unsummer-like. I think it’s because, as kids, it felt so free just to be of school with no strict bedtime or way-early mornings. The summer felt like it stretched out before us like a never-ending story.
But of course, our parents knew the ending. And all the scenes and plot twists that came before it. I’m just so glad that I don’t have to work outside the home like my mom always had to, trying to figure out who was going to watch the kids during the days this year, just counting the weeks until we all got to go on our annual summer vacation and I could sit and read my book in the sun.
Not much sun here, but I’m not complaining: I do love the rain. And we have at least one trip planned this summer to go see family in Kansas where I will get more than my fill of heat and humidity. Before and after our trip(s) in July, Kansas and elsewhere, the kids are somewhat busy with a sundry of activities: swimming; karate; t-ball; school (yes, school!); and tennis camp.
Not all of that is even for Olivia, though she’d like it to be. (You want to do tennis camp? You’ve never even held a racket!) (We are holding off on her for now; the camp’s for her older brother.)
I decided it’d be a worthy and educational exercise (albeit somewhat scary) to run the numbers on…
How Much Our Kids’ Activities are Costing Us This Summer:
*drum roll*
A total of $960!
Breakdown:
- Karate (for two kids): $450
- Swimming lessons (two kids): $76
- Dance Camp (two days) (guess which kid?): $45
- Summer School (high school history credit for Conner): $115
- T-ball (two kids): $70
- Tennis Camp: $150
I hesitated including t-ball in there because the season started in April and I actually paid for it in February. But it bleeds into the summer, so there you go. Even though the games keep getting rained out…
I do not regret any of these activities, or the cost required to keep them up. (Although John gasped a little when he saw the figure for Karate).
How’s your summer faring? Kids got at your pockets? (What’s the damage?) Or are you managing a summer of purely frugal fun instead?
Conner and I were talking about signing him up for summer school well before we had any idea we’d be moving this year instead of next. We look at it as him getting a head start on earning credit required to graduate high school: I figure the half credit toward history will count in California as well as here in Ohio. It’s kind of the thing to do here, summer school. It’s not just remedial, though you do find students there for that as well.
Musings on Homeschooling
I am still thinking and all but set on homeschooling after we move. Lately the discussion has circled around whether I should homeschool all the kids right away or just start with Conner. I just worry that, if I don’t start with the little ones from day one, it’ll just be too easy to leave them where they are, unless we’re absolutely hating it. The elementary school they would attend actually gets good ratings, and is spoken well of by parents. The thing is, the more I have been reading and researching and otherwise learning about homeschooling, the less I am looking at it from a purely academic standpoint…
It’s also interesting to me how much the cost of homeschooling can vary, depending on your approach: whether you purchase curriculum; and whether it’s new or used; how much you rely on the library; and what you actually count as school.
Because those activities up there? I’m seeing lots of possibility for school credit. Yes, mostly for P.E. (it is summertime) or otherwise electives. But what about those music classes that you sign your kids up for anyway? Or that pottery class? Or those visits to the history museum? Aren’t those educational? If you homeschool, do you count those as part of the cost even though they’re activities your kids would be doing anyway?
The time and flexibility available to homeschoolers to do even more outside activities is a major appeal to me. Indeed, I actually worry about Olivia, in particular, having time to dabble in all of her interests that this young girl already proclaims: dance; music; karate; art… And those are just from this week. When kids are in school all day, it’s just too much for them to do more than one or two “extra-curricular” activities at a time. When you homeschool, these activities become part of their school.
I probably should have made this a separate post. I’m sure this won’t be the last you hear from me on this. Any thoughts or input of your own? Any homeschoolers out there? Anyone? Anyone?
(Go ahead [Bueller], you know you want to say it.)
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I was home schooled for high school because we lived over an hour’s drive from the nearest high school. Both my parents are certified teachers (Dad is high school and Mom is high school AND elementary school). Dad worked the ranch and helped me with school and Mom taught at the one room country school down the road (where I did 4th through 8th grade). My brother was home schooled for two years until we moved to town; he graduate valedictorian. I had a 30 on my ACT, my brother had a 30 as well. My brother currently has a Ph.D. in Physics. I have a Masters in English and am working on my Ph.D. in Higher Education. I also work full time at a university (go K-State!) and we have a one year old boy. Home school can really work for a motivated smart kid. I was scared to death when I went to college that I wouldn’t be smart enough, and since I graduate Summa Cum Laude, guess that wasn’t a concern. I did lots of Home Ec, lots of English, etc. I do know, however, that it got lonely. And sometimes it was hard to be the only one learning something and not have anyone to talk to or share with. I LOVED college. I still do. I loved the interaction and the classes and the professors. I wonder if I might have liked high school if I’d been given the chance. There are so many wonderful creative teachers out there, and having Mom and Dad for four years, while more than sufficient, was also a little limiting. And if your child wants to be an engineer, are you or your hubby up to teaching AP Calculus? My parents weren’t. My brother had a really rough first year of college with no calculus background and a physics major.
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jolyn Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Thank you so much for your perspective. I agree, it would seem lonely to homeschool out on a secluded ranch. I have every intention of taking advantage of co-ops and other opportunities that the area in California has to offer. I’m not sure yet how much “home” our school will entail!
I agree, there are some amazing teachers out there. Several of them are in my own extended family. My kids have also had some wonderful teachers here in Ohio. This really isn’t about limiting my son to just me as his one teacher as it is about providing him the flexibility and opportunity to explore other avenues of education, not strictly academic. We also are anticipating opportunities for him to take courses at the local community college once he is ready.
And no, I am no way equipped to teach Calculus! Our son still needs to tackle and conquer Algebra and Geometry. If he needs to do more math following those, I will figure that out when the time comes.
Thank you again for your comments! I need people like you to challenge me and give me perspective, especially as one who was homeschooled yourself. This will definitely be a journey on a learning curve for me and my son.
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Jolyn,
I wish you could go to the CHEA convention this July. There are many wonderful speakers and workshops offered and is a place where you could meet lots of homeschoolers in person and ask questions. Go to CHEA.com for more details! You will be encouraged.
I have recommended my friends who wanted to start homeschooling but needed questions answered. They went to the convention and have been homeschooling since then. We have been homeschooling since 1995 and will end in 2026. Will be many years by then.
I will be there and if you do decide to go maybe we could meet up.
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jolyn Reply:
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:39 am
Oh, I wish I could go, too! I just looked up their website and saw that they also have a convention in the Bay Area in the Spring, not far from Monterey, so perhaps I can make it to that one…
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Comparatively speaking I plan a toned down summer… though that’s not saying much given some of the company that we keep! Our summer tally:
Soccer Camp 2 kiddos: $90 (+equipt $40)
Swimming Lessons for 2 $140
Summer camp at the local museum for 2 $175
Pool pass for whole family $55
And that’s it… The rest of the summer we will be hiking at the local park and reading at the library. I do feel as though we are missing out on some great things, but more because I don’t want an over scheduled summer not just frugality.
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I loved being homeschooled! My mom got a basic curriculum (Alpha Omega) to provide some structure, but I spent a lot of time reading and researching, and doing those extra-curricular activities. One year my science curriculum was participating in a program at our local Museum of Flight that culminated in a space shuttle simulation. I never would have gotten that from a regular school. And I found that a good foundation of basics allowed me to transition back into school (senior year of high school, and then college) without too much trouble. I was also able to get high school credit for a lot of my activities, including my part-time job (I didn’t have to take PE!)
I am definitely going to homeschool my kids when they are younger and give them a varied and interesting curriculum, and then transition them to public school when they are older.
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jolyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Thank you so much for your perspective as being homeschooled yourself! Was there any particular reason you went into public school as a senior, if I may ask?
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Well I don’t have my checkbook with me to verify these numbers, but our summer tally is in the ballpark of…
football $500
tball $75
gymnastics $270
and now for the big WHAMMIE…. Summer camp $270 A WEEK for the entire length of the summer. (I work outside of the home)
Yes, I’ve done the math, it is still cheaper to pay that than for me to quit working….
come on school… even with paying tuition for private christian education, its still cheaper than the summers…
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While I have made attempts at frugal fun and succeeded the cost of day camp (so I can work in peace) really adds up! We opted for 4 weeks of day camp totaling $500! On the off weeks we have scheduled day trips to Grandma’s, Aunt Cindy’s, and a week of family vacation.
We also signed up for our Library’s FREE summer reading program-they give away prizes for minutes of reading-which is a great incentive and occupies my son for 60 minutes daily! I also found a letterbox type program through our local Parks & Rec department. For more frugal summer fun ideas check out this post. http://c1c.bz/k6qSuzanne
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Great post, and very thoughtful comments.
Karate $35 this is inexpensive, because it’s through the township rec dept. He gets stripes on his belt, rather than earning colors, but until we decide that he’s committed to it, this is the way we’re going. It is held at the same Karate studio as formal lessons that some of his friends are paying $75 per month for. So far he loves it, so looks like we’ll be going that route next time around.
Soccer- $230, plus $105 for tickets to a Philadelphia Union game that the team is going to, plus new cleats, and perhaps soccer camp, another $200. All of this is for FALL soccer, but payable now.
Church camp – $200 but he’s still undecided
Township rec camp $100 but WE’RE still undecided.
So far, $835 possible, for only one child. Thankfully, we have friends with pools, so he can swim for free. Cub scout camp was also in the mix, but frankly, it was cost-prohibitive, even with an early registration discount. There is the possibility of a campership for the church camp, but I think he doesn’t really want to go, so we will probably be doing the rec camp, which most of his friends will be attending, and has weekly themes.
About home schooling-great thoughts! I have been toying with the idea of homeschooling ever since he was a toddler. We live in a fabulous school district, and I will probably hold off until at least middle school age. Unless budget cuts change the integrity of our school programs, a distinct possibility.
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Wouldn’t museum trips and pottery classes count as education for kids regardless of how they were schooled? Same with housework??
Here’s my summer tally
swimming lessons for 2 kids $145.54
princess ballet camp for 2 kids $180.80
gymnastics camp for 1 kid $160
Kumon classes for 1 kid $180
Total $666.34
based on mine and yours it’s roughly $330/kid.
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jolyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:34 am
Kristin- Of course they are education! But do they get credit for them? That’s the difference with homeschooling. Along with the time available to do things otherwise considered “extra-curricular” as well as the motivation. We’re trying to get our 14yo used to the idea that “school” is not just inside a certain building. A couple of days ago he and his dad were making rice pudding (quite similar to the recipe you posted on facebook!) and my husband joked that, in homeschooling, the time they spent cooking w/be counted toward Home Ec. Conner was like, “Really? I would get credit for this?” For now, getting credit would be a great start into getting him thinking about learning taking place anywhere and anytime, and not just something to do for a grade and get him out of the mindset that once he leaves the school building he’s done with learning, and that there’s more to school than the goals a teacher prescribes for him.
And I had about 10,000 interruptions while I wrote that, so I have no idea if it makes sense!
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We have four kids and have homeschooled them from the beginning. Currently I have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, 4th and 2nd grader. Its chaos at times, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I count anything and everything as school, but that doesn’t mean we don’t do math or bookwork, because we do. I have that mentality moreso to let my children see that life is school, learning never stops and its fun, so why would you want to stop learning?! I also love the freedom of knowing we can set our own schedule, go on vacation when and where we want and not be told to ‘only’ vacation in the summer because of some districts timeline.
I do not remember where you are moving to, but I would encourage you to check out HSLDA’s website and find out what the homeschool laws are in your state, as each state has its own laws.
Have fun! I love homeschooling my kids – even on the trying days.
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jolyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:24 am
Janelle- You expressed my sentiments EXACTLY!
We’re moving to California. I still have more research to do, but from what I’ve seen so far that State has some of the more relaxed rules regarding homeschooling. Are you personally a member of HSLDA?
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Church camp – $180 (early bird discount already applied) x two boys
Spending money for the canteen and paintball (yes, paintball!) at church camp – $30 x two boys
Youth Conference weekend – $90 x two boys
Spending money for concessions, etc. at Youth Conference – $20 x two boys
Driver’s Ed – $400
Swimming lessons – $30 for one girl
Basketball camp – $25 for one girl
Volleyball camp – $25 for one girl
Fort Hays State University volleyball camp – $60 for one girl
Pool passes – $35 for each child
———————————————–
$1285 SO FAR – and it’s only the second day of summer!
This does NOT include extra trips for summertime snacks at convenience stores, or the golf lessons that my oldest son is now taking courtesy the aunt and uncle who are encouraging that sport. This also does not include a yet-unplanned family vacation! Plus, I seem to make more grocery store runs in the summer. Summer is expensive!
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Marilyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:42 am
Whoops! Forgot softball for one girl – $30 (which we paid for last spring, but she’s still participating in). At this point, I’m glad my boys aren’t into athletics this summer!
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jolyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:21 am
Oh, Marilyn. I haven’t even factored in the budget for traveling yet! Nor was I counting the trips to the museum we plan on taking, or the kayaking that we want to do. Or-Or-Or…!
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We home educate and LOVE it! There is so much out there to assist in “schooling” these days that price really is not a drawback. Don’t forget that cleaning house is part of “home ec”! Even on the days when my son is rebelling in some way and I feel myself getting frustrated….I know that no one will love him like me and care about squashing that rebellion and leading him toward Christ. Education is discipleship.
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jolyn Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:44 am
Kristin- Wow, you really hit the nail on the head. I do worry about “getting along” with my kids throughout our daily homeschool walk. I think it’s a sign of the times that society lets us think that it’s too much for parents to handle and that a public school education is better than what we can provide, bumps and bruises and all. We’re all so quick to forgive public schools, “They’re just doing the best they can” (which they often are) but then we’re quick to judge any mistake that a parent makes at home. Thanks for the encouragement.
(And yes, I’m remembering home ec! And credit for lifeskills! And personal finance! And the list goes on!)
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