My son was at camp for a month this year, my daughter, 2 weeks. Returning home is always a major downer for my guys – nothing to do, the food stinks – so this year I decided to ease the transition.
Most years they come home and they go from fun and activity all day everyday to 2 working parents and nothing but their own devices. Over time they transition back to the routine but the first week is full of attitude and boredom. My strategy this year was to a) address the boredom b) minimize the attitude and c) find a way to connect with them again after so long away.
So, I planned a little together time. Now, we decided to go away but this doesn’t have to be a big deal. In fact, it could be a few days just set aside to spend time together in your own hometown. I had work to do up at Deerhurst Resort so it was the perfect opportunity to take a little trip. It gave the kids something to look forward to but, most importantly, it gave us time together to reconnect after so long apart.
My kids at Splash Zone. SO fun!
While I worked the kids enjoyed the fun of Splash Zone (I even joined them for some water trampolining and sliding!). This was a great way for them to entertain themselves and spend time together. Not only was there the fun activity area but my kids loved the stand up paddle boards and kayaks. There was definitely enough to keep them busy for the bulk of the day with the Pool Deck Patio & Grill just a few steps away.
Kayaking trip #1.
Paddle boarding. They loved it!
We loved having the time together. We loved Deerhurst. We dressed up and went for a fancy dinner at Steamers. Steaks, Shirley Temples (wine for me!), and extravagant desserts. What a special treat!
Cheers! All dolled up for a fine night out.
And to top the evening off? A trip down rock ‘n roll memory lane at the totally entertaining Decades show. This musical stage show took us all on a journey! I sang along to nearly every song. A definite highlight for me and the kids enjoyed it too.
On our way home we stopped off at what turned out to be my 12 year-old son’s favourite part of the trip – Treetop Trekking. This new addition to Deerhurst’s activities is fabulous for the outdoor adventurer. With zipping and climbing way up high my son and daughter were entertained for hours. This is an activity best for those over 12 as the younger set can only do 3 of the courses. It was a summer highlight for my son!
So, how did my cure for the post-camp blues turn out? Perfectly. We had just enough togetherness to feel reconnected. My kids played beautifully and we all got back into our groove thanks to new shared experiences and memories.
Do your kids suffer from the post-camp blues?