Many children look forward to summer getting started. After nine months of sitting at desks, writing notes, and taking exams, they’re ready for a more flexible schedule. However, these summer vacations are stressful for many parents. They have to plan camp trips and keep their children busy while juggling full-time work.
This concern recently made its way into the HENRY Finance Reddit community. This group is filled with high earners who aren’t rich yet, and many of them explained how challenging it is to take care of the kids during summer.
“The world is set up against families with two working parents,” the original poster mentioned.
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The couple, with one of the spouses being the original poster, earns a combined $260,000 per year. They have a 3-year-old in daycare and a 6-year-old in a summer program that has been disappointing so far. Other Redditors shared their experiences with raising children during the summer and how they are navigating the current environment.
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Try Gyms
One of the top comments came from a Redditor who encouraged the community to give gyms a try. Many gyms have activities for children and offer structured activities. The commenter specifically mentioned two gyms that offer a wide range of activities.
“Both the YMCA and Lifetime Fitness do full summer camps with drop-off and pick-up flexibility. All day programming, but time by the pool, weekly fieldtrips, etc.”
If you work out at the gym each day, you may want to take your kids with you during some of those days. That way, they’re getting in good exercise, which will let them use their energy early in the day.
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Create Structure
Many Redditors emphasized the value of creating structure in your children’s schedules. Some parents were stay-at-home moms until they saw it was too hard for them to commit to structured schedules for their children at a consistent rate.
It’s also an uphill battle since many parents in the neighborhood may also have their kids in a summer camp. This trend plays out in many areas, and it gives parents fewer options for their kids if they don’t want to embark on a summer program.
“We would all be miserable with an extended period of no structure,” one Redditor stated. Another person commented right under that post in agreement.
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Prioritize Correctly
While you have to work to put food on the table, you don’t want to overdo it either. It makes more sense to work extra hours and pursue every good opportunity when you are single, but the dynamic shifts for many people when they become adults. One Redditor summed this trend up nicely.
“Make sure you are spending time wisely at work and not just working for work’s sake. Cut back rigorously on [stuff] that doesn’t matter. When I had no kids, I put in 60 hours regularly; as a parent, I put in 35-45, depending on the situation. My performance reviews never got worse.”
The original poster responded to the comments with some thoughts and a career journey that encapsulates many individuals who are grappling between their work and being present for their children.
“My current work is actually closing in the middle of July. And I’ve already lined something else up, but it’s gonna take a little [time] to be credentialed, and so I am going to pull the kids from everything and spend some nice weeks with them at home. But the new job is definitely gonna be longer hours at first. But, it’s also good for the career. But, I don’t want to forget what’s important for sure.”
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