Over the river and through the recession to grandmother's house they go. The lingering recession is forcing cash-strapped parents to cancel camp for the kids. Instead, they're being packed off to their grandparents'.
The hundreds of dollars a week that would have paid for camp are being diverted to more essential needs -- groceries, electricity and house payments.
The arrangement shifts the child-care burden to grandparents, many of whom enjoy the extra time with their grandchildren. The kids' parents save money and get some time to themselves. And the grandkids get more love and attention, and better food.
"If this economic trouble is bringing people together, that's a positive," said Georgia Hope Witkin, associate professor of psychology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and a contributing editor of the Web site Grandparents.com.
The American Camp Association reports registration numbers are down at some of the nation's 12,000 camps, but it's too early to estimate overall attendance this year. Reports from around the country point to lower turnout from Maine to Florida to Texas and elsewhere.
"Grandparents are the new summer camp," Witkin said.
Source: Baltimore Sun / Associated Press
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-grandparents-0720,0,3566561.story
Although it's fantastic to have one's children spend time with their grandparents, one can't possibly keep them there for an entire summer? Grandparents are people too and in the twilight of their lives, they would require a bit of recreation and respite from parental responsibility too. I suggest having parents look early into some of the area sleep away camps and register early for possible discounts. This way if they want to have them visit grandpa and grandma, they can arrange transport to and from the camp.
Posted by: Berkshires Sleep Away Camp | February 12, 2010 at 06:08 AM