summer camp

Elazar, age 7, has decided that he wants to go to camp where our homeschooling neighbors go.  This camp has many benefits.  It is 2 blocks away from my house.  It is the least expensive camp, which means it is also self-selecting for those families that are on a budget.  My neighbor likes the idea that it is low key and that the trips are low key (like bowling).  It still has swimming.  And it has a half a day of learning.

Yes, you read that right.  My adhd kid wants to go to a camp with half a day of learning.  Why?  Because his friends have convinced him that it is the most fun camp ever.  (What?  Homeschoolers don't have to deal with peer pressure?  And that's why they need to go to regular school?)  Half a day of learning is great for those families who want their children to be heavily involved in talmud Torah.  I'm not sure it's what I would have chosen for Elazar.  

I spoke to the person in charge, and she was lovely and accommodating.  I said my 7yo wants to go to this camp because his friends are going there.  But he has adhd and can't sit through half a day of learning.  She asked what does he do in school?  I said he's homeschooled.  She said how is he in a learning situation?  I said that we went to an hour class where there was 10 minutes of lecture and then hands on touching the animal.  And he lasted 40 minutes.  She asked if he was on medication.  I said no.  She said not that she's advocating for medication (which was nice to hear).  I said I had full confidence based on our family history, my brothers, etc. that in three or four years his ability to sit would be much better.  She said I am extremely brave.  I said knowing my brothers I felt pretty confident, and I found that homeschooling is a good option for us.  She wanted to know if I wanted a shadow for him or if I wanted to put him in a learning group with a smaller ratio and I said I really thought it would be better if he could just come to the playing part of camp.  She said of course; she just wanted to accommodate him if we wanted to try some of those options.  She wanted to know if he would have trouble in the playing part of camp--would he run away, would he not listen.  I said she can speak to my neighbor if she wants, who knows him very well.  But he's generally a very well behaved child as long as you don't try to make him sit still.

And then I said I have a first grader who can sit for hours but he's very shy and he's not sure if he will like camp or not, but he wants to try it.  So she's sending me an application and we'll see how it goes.

Elazar is very excited.