It only took a few days for our middle son (4.5 then) to get jealous. Not only was he lonely without his brother, but he was quite envious of the fun his brother had every day.
My husband, a SAHD, was at his wits end trying to entertain him and care for our almost 1yo. I was heartbroken to see the middle child so bummed.
SO
Daddy Day Camp was born! (before the movie came out!)
Every night after he went to bed, I put a "surprise craft"/activity and all of the materials he needed in a special bag with his name on it. He wasn't allowed to open it until after breakfast.
The activites were usually simple and on his level. I made sure they were projects that required little to no assistance from Dad. He was proud of himself for being able to complete his project on his own and it freed dad to tend to the baby - who was rather ill and extremely under weight at the time. Once my oldest was done with day camp, we enrolled him in "Daddy Day Camp" as well.
This summer adds several new dynamics:
- #1 & #2 have both been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
- #3 is healthy and strong... and likely going to want "in" on this camp thing.
- none of the kids are enrolled in outside "camp" activities, but #1 & #2 are both in karate class 2x/week.
- The kids are older, gifted and learning new skills that I'd like to reinforce without making it feel like school.
- My project ideas from last year willmost likely bore them to tears.
I suppose I'm the camp's Activities Coordinator, but Daddy is certainly counselor, medic, chef, and director. So, join me us as I prepare my projects and ideas. As I gather sources and information, I'll add them to the sidebar. Feel free to comment and add your own links, ideas and suggestions.
Camp officially starts on Tuesday (6/24/08).
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