Before you start looking for a summer camp, consider what activities your child enjoys, whether it's sports, arts and crafts, science or outdoor adventures.
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Family Features - Selecting the perfect summer camp for your child can be a pivotal experience, shaping memories for years to come. Offering unique opportunities for kids to experience independence, build lasting friendships and develop new skills in a fun and safe environment, camps can encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, try new activities and overcome challenges away from the comforts of home.
Because campers are immersed in a variety of programs, such as outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, sports, team-building exercises and more, they often return home more resilient, confident and with a sense of achievement.
Consider these tips to choose the right summer excursion for your child.
Understand Your Child's Interests and Needs
Before you start looking for a summer camp, consider what activities your child enjoys, whether it's sports, arts and crafts, science or outdoor adventures. Knowing his or her preferences can help narrow down the options.
Additionally, think about your child's personality and social needs to ensure the camp experience is tailored to his or her unique disposition. If your child is more introverted, a smaller, more intimate camp setting may be beneficial. A larger camp environment may better suit outgoing children who are eager to make new friends.
Research Camp Options and Reputations
Look for camps that offer the activities your child enjoys and have a good reputation. Read reviews from other parents and, if possible, visit the camps to get a feel for the environment. Each camp provides unique strengths, ensuring there is one for every child to enjoy and benefit from.
Check if the camps have been in operation for a significant amount of time and whether they have experienced and qualified staff. A camp with a long-standing reputation and a history of positive feedback can provide added assurance of a quality experience for your child.
Evaluate Camp Safety and Accreditation
Safety should be a top priority when choosing a summer camp. Ensure the camp is accredited by a reputable organization, such as the American Camp Association, which sets high standards for health, safety and program quality.
Inquire about safety protocols, including staff-to-camper ratios, emergency procedures and staff training in first aid and CPR. It's also important to ask about the camp's policies on bullying and how they handle behavioral issues that may arise.
Consider Camp Location and Duration
Decide whether you prefer a camp close to home or if you're comfortable with your child traveling to a different region. Proximity can be beneficial in case of emergencies or if your child experiences homesickness.
Additionally, think about the length of the camp session. Some camps offer one-week sessions while others might last for several weeks or just overnight. Consider your child's readiness for being away from home for extended periods and choose a duration that aligns with your family's schedule and his or her comfort level.
To find more parenting advice, visit eLivingtoday.com.
“Usually, the need for naptime decreases when kids reach 4 to 6 years old,” Dr. Garcia says. “At that point, they only need to sleep the 10 hours at night.”
When and how long
Dr. Garcia says naps for kids should be 30 minutes to two hours. So, you can do some math. For example: your 2-year-old needs four hours of daytime sleep with naps no greater than two hours. So, aim for some two-hour slumbering mid to late morning and early afternoon.
“It’s not recommended to nap after 3 or 4 p.m. to avoid causing disruptions at bedtime,” Dr. Garcia warns. “We want to allow at least four hours between last nap and bedtime to avoid the kids being too tired at bedtime.”
Bad nighttime sleep leads to irritability and poor concentration the next day, he adds.
No more naps
Dr. Garcia suggests parents look for signs that their child is ready to stop napping.
“Is the kid refusing or having a hard time taking a nap? If they do take a nap, do they have a problem falling asleep at night?” Dr. Garcia asks.
You should also talk to your child’s school or day care. If they have daily nap time, let that continue until the child ages out of the facility. If the facility is flexible, inform them of your child’s sleep habits and come up with a plan.
When the time comes to stop naps, Dr. Garcia recommends a clean break. There will likely be some fussiness, but it will subside. Moving bedtime up by 20 to 30 minutes can help.
Sleep tips
Some general good sleep tips:
As a committed member of Illinois’ law enforcement community interested in public safety and justice, I support the passage of SB1463 and its companion bill in the house, HB3120, and I hope other Illinoians will join me. Imposing harsh punishments on juveniles is an unfair and outdated practice that was never based on evidence and must be left behind.
In Illinois, “fine and fees” refer to administrative fees and financial penalties imposed by courts. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and other Illinois statutes set up a series of costs specifically for children and their families. But these costs have nothing to do with creating accountability or achieving victim restitution. The reality is a system that creates bigger barriers to youth rehabilitation.
These kids are likely still in school; they are unlikely to have jobs, and if they do, they have limited working hours and income. The system does not take into account their individual circumstances, and is, instead, designed for them to fail.
The new legislation is designed to streamline and simplify the juvenile justice process while reducing the cost for those involved by eliminating fines and fees in cases against minors. Right now, fines and fees can range from less than $50 to almost $1000 and add up quickly. These costs are higher in some counties than others. This legislation would address that problem and make justice equal across the state without undermining a judge’s ability to set victim restitution and order other non-financial conditions that focus on accountability and rehabilitation.
A 2016 study showed that financial penalties imposed on youth increased their risk of reoffending rather than acting as a deterrent. Unpaid debts have lifelong consequences that can impact job prospects, educational opportunities, and much more. Imposing debt on minors sets them up for continued failure and makes it increasingly difficult to change their circumstances without returning to criminal activity.
Passing this legislation won’t be a ‘get out of jail free’ card for youth and it won’t allow them to escape accountability for their actions. Instead, it will create space for new systems that are proven to increase public safety and improve outcomes for justice-involved youth. There are better options for rehabilitation and better ways for Illinois to spend money on the criminal justice system. In 2021, a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders reduced the probability of rearrest by 44%, while another study found that community-based interventions were not only more effective, but less costly to states. Better justice practices are possible, we owe it to young people to give them a better chance at success.
Not only are the policies bad for recidivism rates, but they are bad fiscal policy as well. The longer someone has criminal justice debt, the less likely it is to be collected. Comparing Illinois counties to counties in other states where juvenile court debt collection is relatively high, the courts there only collect about 4% of debt that is more than six months old; after three years, the debt is completely uncollectible. Illinois counties can’t rely on debt they may never collect to pay for the cost of the justice system. Even if they do collect, the actual revenue still won’t be enough to cover the resources used to administer the system: most small counties in Illinois take in less than $5,000 in juvenile justice costs every year. Juvenile fines and fees generate almost no revenue and the cost of collecting is often higher.
If passed, SB1463 will be applied automatically and retroactively, meaning that existing debts will be canceled and no new ones will be imposed on juveniles and their families. This will not be a loss of revenue for Illinois counties, instead it will be a way for those counties to better use its resources that would have been spent on debt collection.
Illinois must join the over 20 other states that have eliminated or reformed juvenile fines and fees. The system of fines and fees is causing youth offenders to fail and we as Illinoians are failing them by not working for change. This legislation, SB1463/HB3120, is a critical step for public safety and for creating better systems of justice for Illinois’ juvenile offenders.
