Summer Camp Benefits For Kids: June 2022 Net Worth Tanked!
Summer camp can be one week or all summer away from home and family for kids.
Mrs. CBB and I had never been to summer camp when we were young as there was no money to spend on such a luxury.
If you don’t already know from reading my posts, our son has Autism and sensory processing disorder.
The hardest part about being a dad is trying to understand him and ensuring he understands us.
Today, I want to talk about summer camp, costs and why we must keep our son active and social.
Summer Camp Was Not Part Of Growing Up For Us
Most mother’s in the UK would stay home and not work so they could tend to the kids and house.
There was no need for babysitting or before and after school care because mum was always around.
My mum was a stay-at-home; however, my parents owned two businesses.
When I was old enough, my dad and I ran the businesses, and mum would help dad with the finances.
Summer Camp Only For Rich Kids
Coincidentally, Mrs. CBB grew up in a household where both parents worked and had a business.
Summer camp was not even close to being on the radar, as were any activities about socialization.
At the time, they were not a low-income family, and she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t attend.
She would go to the park where a summer camp was in session every day and dream about being part of it.
The summer camp leader had two large picnic tables, and the kids made crafts, laughed, played and sang.
She was envious of those kids because she wanted to join the group.
That never happened, although one day, the camp leader invited Mrs. CBB to make a craft.
She must have felt sorry for being at the park alone most days, just watching the kids.
Summer Fun With Friends
The UK park was our summer camp, although we just played instead of learning new things.
My mum would chat to the other mums, and the kids would play on the equipment or chase each other.
I was an introvert and preferred being alone, so I could read or find ways to challenge myself.
For example, I’d count in my head to see how many shots I’d get in the basket with my basketball.
Upon return each day, I would continue to practice until I got bored and tried developing soccer skills.
You might want to call my outdoor activities in the summer a fend for yourself type of summer camp.
I had a few friends in school, which was good enough for me since I was sometimes shy and overwhelmed.
There was nothing for me to prove to anyone apart from myself, making sure I’d study hard.
I knew my parents had a challenging financial picture, but they made the best of it and are still frugal.
One thing was inevitable as I grew older: I wanted to be successful at something.
The only problem was I had no idea what that would be as I hadn’t experienced much.
Looking back and understanding what I know today, if my parents could pay for summer camp, it would have helped my fears.
I also would have been able to be independent, so I didn’t rely on my parents for certain things.
Benefits Of Summer Camp For Kids
We’ve been going through the process of setting our son up in Ontario as he was diagnosed with Autism.
Doing so opened up many options so we could get him the help he needed.
Trust me, and the costs are not cheap when you have to pay out of pocket for assistance.
He has no financial backing, but we are waiting for it, which could take months.
In the meantime, he plays soccer and video games, and we’ll help him learn how to ride a bike.
Next week we will do a Zoom meeting with a nutritionist about picky eaters and Autism, which is no charge.
Getting a comprehensive eye exam is not; we’ve done this twice now, costing us nearly $1000.
During the summer, he does not go to occupational therapy, so we don’t go over my benefits.
Our son’s therapist approached me to see if we wanted to enroll him in a summer camp for one week.
He would be with other children with similar disabilities to learn from each other and make some friends.
The entire program is about sensory, friendship, arts, crafts, singing, writing and learning to self-regulate.
One week of camp costs $250.00, which we felt was reasonable since it will help our son.
Related: Great Toys To Buy For Kids On The Autism Spectrum
Summer Camp Minecraft Coding
About two weeks ago, friends texted us to see how our summer was going and that their kids loved summer camps.
Both parents work high-paying jobs, and the kids aren’t quite old enough to stay home alone.
Signing the kids up for summer camp is what they’ve done every summer, and it worked for them.
The perk was that they required no babysitter, and the kids were having a blast. Both kids are neurotypical and very outgoing.
While chatting, the wife mentioned a spot left for Minecraft Coding Summer Camp, and perhaps our son would like it.
Like it? He can’t wait to go, which is fantastic for him and us as we like to see him enthusiastic.
The cost for the one-week program is $499 plus taxes, and as you guessed, my mouth dropped.
Although the program is from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm and is attractive for parents who work 9 to 5 pm.
Luckily we were given a coupon code for 20% off the program, and one of the leaders has a degree in child psychology.
Autistic Quirks Our Son Has
Our son has many quirks, one of which is that we can’t cough around him and that washing his hands is unsuitable for electronics.
There’s never a dull moment with our son as he comes up with some great one-liners.
Although we laugh, we remind him why he needs to wash his hands and the importance of clean hands.
Any time he is outdoors, he needs a bug bracelet that we buy at the dollar store as flies, bees, wasps, hornets etc., scare him.
Loud noises, especially bathroom air dryers, will deter him from going to the bathroom unless we go in with him.
These quirks tend to wear off, and something new takes its spot.
He does not sugar-coat what he says and blurts it out only when he is comfortable around them.
Benefits of Summer Camp For Our Autistic Son
We needed to consider obvious things before signing our son up for two summer camp weeks.
- Would he be comfortable around new adults and children?
- What protocol would be in place for a child with Autism?
- How long would his medication take before it wears off? Typically by 8 am, he gets drug which wears off by 2 pm.
- What types of motivation would the camp leaders provide for our son?
- Would the leaders check in with our son to ensure he understands the tasks?
Parents Should Ask Questions Before Paying
We had questions for the second summer camp to ensure they could accommodate our son.
Some camps may have a non-refundable provision once you pay for it, so always ask questions.
Luckily the camp coordinator was happy and said our son would be well looked after.
She also appreciated that we let her know that our son has Autism and ways they could help him.
The first camp is Autism based, and with his occupational therapist, so we were confident.
Mrs. CBB and I discussed the benefits of sending our son to this summer camp.
During the week, we allow one hour of video gaming on school nights and two on the weekends. We know video games and funny YouTube videos help him to regulate.
While the kids were educated online from home during the pandemic, he did basic coding with his teacher.
During this time, he said he enjoyed coding, which was something he would like to do again.
We rarely would have him show interest in something, so this was a happy parents’ moment.
Pros About Daily Summer Camp For Our Son
He hasn’t started summer camp yet, but Mrs. CBB and I wrote out why we feel these programs will benefit him.
- Increase social skills in smaller groups causing less stress
- Learning new processes about coding and Minecraft
- Self-regulation having to find ways to control his extra energy
- Knowing our son is enjoying himself doing something he loves.
- Help our son to talk in complete sentences about essential topics rather than fleeting thoughts.
- The ability to feel like he is in control of his situation and to know he is part of a team.
I trust that this list will grow or decrease after he completes summer camp as he tells us about his day.
Cons About Daily Summer Camp
With benefits, there are also cons to sending your children to summer camp.
- Do parents have the money to send their children to a summer camp?
- They do not know if the child will enjoy summer camp.
- Long days away from home, perhaps weeks.
- Driving daily to summer camp may mean getting up earlier if parents work. Change in routine.
- Will the summer camp benefit the child/ren or something they would like?
- What is your plan B if your child needs to come home or has an emergency?
There are subsidies available from the Ontario Camps Association, which is a fantastic resource for parents.
At the OCA, we know that camp is a life-changing and important life experience for Canadian youth. Some families need support to provide this experience for their camper- and that’s where subsidies and financial supports come in!
Ontario Camps Association
Summer Camp Reimbursement In Ontario
I also located on the Autism Ontario website that they offer 500 children a reimbursement of up to $600. Unfortunately, we were unaware of this, so we did not apply but will do so next summer.
“2022 One to One Summer Support Worker Reimbursement Fund is available to Ontario families of children or youth on the autism spectrum who retain the services of a one-to-one worker or send their child to a camp or in-person or virtual program.“
Maximum reimbursements of $600 per child or youth (up to their 18th birthday) will be made to subsidize services purchased between July and August 2022. A minimum of 500 children from across Ontario are expected to receive reimbursement.
Autism Ontario will provide reimbursement based on a random selection from all eligible applicants who apply between May 6 and May 31, 2022.
When A Child Is Home Sick Or Injured
Although our son will attend week-long summer camp sessions, things may be different for other programs.
For example, some parents send their children to summer camp for a month or two where the child is away from home. Also, if there is an emergency because a child is injured or needs medical assistance parents will need to be available.
Ultimately, if we spend our money and he gains nothing or wants to come home, we can’t change that. What we feel is essential for our son is to offer him experiences where we can to encourage him to build confidence.
Discussion: Have you sent your child to summer camp? What pros and cons came from their experience? Please share your comments below.
CBB Net Worth For The Preceding 12 Months
Scroll close to the bottom if you already know how to calculate your net worth to see the breakdown of our June net worth.
Net Worth Increases And Decreases
The chart above reflects our net worth increases and decreases throughout 2021-2022.
We saw an expected decrease in April, so we don’t have much to say about it.
What are your thoughts about seeing your investments increase and decrease?
Drop me your comments below.
How To Calculate Your Net Worth
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We like calculating our monthly net worth to know if we are still on track.
Some people calculate it yearly or quarterly, but it’s up to you and how informed you want to stay.
Net Worth is only an estimate, and not everyone uses the same type of figures to tally it up.
Determining Net Worth
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Net Worth Losses And Gains 2022
Hi everyone,
As you guessed, our investments took a nose-dive with a loss of ($31,198.00) which is quite a bit of money.
Having lived through Mrs. CBB’s RRSP portfolio tanking in 2009, I’m keeping the same optimism that we will recover.
We have many years before I retire as long as my health holds up, which could change at any time.
Many people forget about the importance of health and life insurance when planning their retirement years.
Just because you paint a picture of what retirement looks like could be the opposite of what it will be.
I bought around 10,000 renovation materials between June and July, which I will write more about in July.
Mr.CBB
Canadian Budget Binder Net Worth Updates 2022
Click the links below to read our net worth updates for 2022.
- January net worth update 2022
- February net worth update 2022
- March net worth update 2022
- April net worth update 2022
- May net worth update 2022 was not posted (see June 2022 update for May figures)
The following net worth report will be in August when we look at our July 2022 net worth figures.
Feel free to comment below.
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