Summer...gulp

[FallingApart]

Hi all,

 

For those of you who have school aged, ragey PANDAS, what is your plan for the summer? I started out as SAHM, moved into a fulltime caregiver to my PANDA and am now a homeopath and SAHM. Because I am supposed to be a SAHM I can't fathom or really afford to send my PANDA to summer camp all summer. However, this is truly what she needs. School breaks kill her, and in turn our family. If I could let her go to summer camp each week, she would actually love it. She would limit her rages to home and probably everyone would have a decent summer.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on this? What do the rest of you do? An insane idea entered my mind today. Way back when, I thought I might homeschool my children. I don't think we would be alive if that had actually happened. But has anyone ever approached summer as a homeschooling term? My reason for thinking this is the routine. However, my PANDA is 9, has had this for over 6 years, and won't do anything she doesn't want to do when she is at home. My idea could be a great one or could be setting me up for the worst summer of my life. Anyone have any thoughts? I also have 2 other children and one of them is a baby.

 

FA

[dasu]

We homeschool and are planning on schooling through the summer as the kids had a rough winter and were unable to do any school for three months. So we will see how it goes.

 

During a full on flare our PANDAS kids are unworkable, unable to do any activity, schooling sport or even many basic tasks. So there is a wide spectrum in abilities between sickness and health. The challenge of a parent is to read and then continually adapt to where they are at any given day or hour. But generally speaking, in 'tween times they need structure and tasking which is a job in and of itself. Us parents get worn out from driving them, keeping the PANDAS thoughts away. This may be what your daughter finds so attractive about school.

[pr40]

this worked for us several weeks at a time: share care with another "normal" child. girls would spend until 1pm at the friend's place then from 1 to 6pm at our place. I don't think this can last more than 2 weeks though.

[JoyBop]

Can you see if there are any scholarships available. Many camps give a certain amount of scholarships to the local elementary schools bit don't advertise that. Also, apply for scholarships with the camps you think your child would be successful at. I did that last year and my child was able to attend two weeks of a wonderful camp that would have cost us a fortune.

[MomWithOCDSon]

We have had similar experiences to yours with wide stretches of "unscheduled" time; DS just seems to function better overall with a routine and things on his plate. While the thought of having "nothing to do, for once" seems romantic and fabulously free to him in the abstract, the reality of it is far more difficult because he winds up over-thinking and over-analyzing how he is or is not spending that "free" time.

 

Our DS attended local park district day camps up into junior high school; they were typically only half-days in length and not terribly expensive, but they gave him a routine and planned activities around other kids 5 days a week during the summers. Once he outgrew those, we got him involved with some "fun" summer school classes which, once again, were only a few hours per day, at most, but gave him that social interaction and routine that he thrives on. For the last few summers during high school, he's either taken a class and/or had a part-time job, but we find it's still helpful for him to maintain a "to do list" for himself with things he either needs or wants to accomplish each week, and then he gets some satisfaction from checking those items off. Can be everything from reading a book to doing his laundry to walking the dog.

 

So I would join in with the others in suggesting that, even if a full-time camp isn't an option, going into each week with a plan of some sort (library on Monday, play-date with a friend on Tuesday, maybe an on-line math class on Wednesday, etc.) might help you all maintain some sanity and keep your DD from spinning out from ennui or unexpended energy.

[diane]

You can get financial aid for some camps. I know someone else mentioned that option. Do you have a YMCA near you? I think they would be your best bet for that. Get a calendar and start writing out what you will do...beach, park, local pool, museum, play date etc... Let them help with creating a schedule. Do this week to week to break it up for yourself. I plan on joining our community pool. There are built in playdates for my daughter and we are park junkies. Call friends in advance and set up activities. Plan and schedule/divide and conquer. Wish I could offer more.