I try not to agonize too much about parenting decisions like whether or not or where to send my son to summer camp. I understand what these so-called Slow Parenting moms and dads are saying, but they sound like they’re trying to justify saving their money. In my case, my child is used to a lot of stimulus because he goes to school for six hours a day during the week. If I try to entertain him for eight weeks while he basically does nothing, we’re both going to get angry with each other. If I had the time to spend all day doing arts and crafts and lesson books, going for long walks in the woods, riding bikes, going swimming, and all the other great things I can think of to do together, well, that would be great. But I don’t have that kind of time. And, even if I did, I am not a five-year old child and I can’t interact with him on that level. Being isolated from people his age for the entire summer would come with its own downsides.
Mainly, I don’t like all these parenting columns that say, basically, “I’m doing things completely differently, and I’m better than you.”
Walk a mile in my shoes and you’d get quiet real quick.
