Camp / Summer Vent

My son is 7 and is high functioning autistic. He does fine in typical social settings and classrooms. This summer we have him at a mostly outdoor camp pretty much every week. They have 8 weeks of summer, he got the first week off and then we traveled last week so he’s only gone two weeks so far. This is week 3 of 6 for him. It’s full day. He’s with his cousin and another friend and they are with first and second graders, so it’s not like he is around a bunch of older kids. But he really doesn’t know anyone outside of his cousin and their friend, they are outside all day doing so many amazing things I could never do if I had him home with me all day. They have indoor space too so he is shaded a lot (it’s at a local greenway), but of course he’s exhausted. Pickup is strictly 4:30-5:30, drop off is strictly 7:30-8:30.

Camp around here is insane and I had to register him right after Halloween. It’s $300 a week and all day. They go fishing, creek stomping, do archery, waterslide Wednesday, kayaking, tie dye. Living the dream!

He’s having serious anxiety just about every day about not wanting to go. We did it for two weeks last summer and he absolutely loved it. It’s all he talked about all year long and we got his cousin on board so they are going together.

Now the poor kid doesn’t want to go! I feel so bad, he was practically crying at drop off today. Sure I could keep him home for a day but then it feels like they’re missing out on the activities they do all week. Not to mention I paid $60/day for him to be there. There are some nights he comes home eat dinner gets a shower and goes to bed at 7.

I don’t know how I’m going to get him into camp for three more weeks. He’s already so off with the routine changed from summer. I know autistic kids can burn out easier. But I also can’t keep him home all day while we work! We can’t entertain him and take him to the pool and the splash pad, that’s the reason he’s at camp.

Just venting, but it makes me feel like such a shitty parent that I can’t have him home all summer. Next year, I now understand that he doesn’t want to be gone all day every day (though we did it last summer and he’s been in daycare + after care at school). I know kids need a break, but it is just so hard as working parents. Next year, I’m definitely going to do a mix of some 9-2 camps (although it will be difficult to get away from work to pick him up).