Frieda Schweky
Let’s be honest – as moms, most of us dread those two to two-and-a-half weeks between school ending and camp beginning. It’s not that we don’t love our kids or want to be around them, it’s simply the lack of structure that can be really challenging, for everybody.
During Covid, when my two oldest were little, I made a schedule that we’d loosely follow every day. We called it Mommy School. I wrote in big letters on construction paper: 9am wake up, brush teeth, make beds. 9:30 tabletop toys – Lego, Magna-Tiles, etc. 10am coloring and crafts. 10:30 story time. 11am solo relaxing time. And so on. It gave us all something to hold onto when the days felt endless. And it worked! My kids still ask for Mommy School sometimes. It is a great model for any long stretch without school.
But now that they’re older and there are more of them, b”H, break looks a little different. Since we live in Deal, those weeks between school and camp we are spent mostly at the pool, the beach, or with playdates, and we are mentally preparing for the shift from school to camp. We slow down – sleeping later, waking later, loosening the routine a little, and letting everyone breathe easier before the summer really kicks in.
Overall, we try to embrace those in-between weeks for what they are – a break from the normal, a chance to reset, and a little runway to get excited for camp. I asked community moms how they handle it. Let’s hear from them.
Jaclyn Bailey
Jaclyn Bailey is a mom of three (ages 9, 7, and 5). “Those two weeks are full of pressure, especially for parents who are working – and especially for parents who can’t afford to sign their kids up for extra programs because camp is already so expensive.” Jaclyn has tried the pre-camp programs, but they seem to be hit or miss. Her go-to solution is the round robin: four or five families rotate, each mom takes one day, and the kids have somewhere to be every day of that gap week.
“For younger kids it works really well. It gets challenging when you have more than one kid to factor in.” More than anything, though, Jaclyn believes in downtime. Her kids are constantly telling her they never have time to just play with their toys or do a project. “There’s so much pressure to go, do, take them somewhere, spend money, and make plans,” she says. “But I really think giving kids downtime is meaningful. When we can give them that, it matters.”
Betty Hassoun
Betty Hassoun has the round robin down to a science. A group of girls rotates houses for the two gap weeks – each mom takes one day, the kids rotate through, and everyone only has to be “on” once.
“It was so much fun! Pre-camp and post-camp programs are another fortune – over $150 a day. It’s crazy!”
Rozan Laudon
Rozan Laudon turns the in-between into something her kids actually look forward to all year. Every gap week, the family does a road trip – and her children are involved from the start, putting in requests, voting on activities, and reminiscing about past trips long after they’re over.
“It’s the highlight of our year, even more than trips where we fly somewhere,” she says. For the weeks they’re home, they build a bucket list together as a family – a mix of day trips, new parks, and at-home activities – so everyone feels heard and excited. She also keeps a loose schedule to manage expectations: one big activity day, one smaller day with errands, and repeat. Simple structure, big payoff.
Adina Antar
Adina Antar sees those weeks as prime time. “I’d rather spend those days with my kids than send them off for more activities,” she says. She takes a few days off from work and uses them for the trips that never fit into a regular weekend – Sesame Place, Six Flags, Kalahari, Philly museums, a quick overnight. “Sundays in the summer fill up fast,” she explains.
“The gap weeks are actually the perfect window.” Adina sees real value in kids spending unstructured time with parents, away from the peer-driven environment of school and camp. And not every day needs an itinerary. “Sometimes it’s pottery painting in the morning, and then we just come home and chill. Kids need to take breaks, too.”
Danielle Mizrahi
Danielle Mizrahi does day trips, the beach, obstacle courses, painting, hiking, and camping with her kids. She includes a rotating mix of easy, low-pressure activities – nothing elaborate, just enough to give the kids something to look forward to each day without turning it into a whole production.
Roz Ben David
Roz Ben David’s strategy? Call in reinforcements! “My in-laws live in Israel, so I book them in advance to come lend a hand with the kids.” A little advance planning and suddenly the gap weeks feel a lot more manageable. Never underestimate the power of grandparents.
Pauline Sharabi
Pauline Sharabi makes the most of what’s around her, like gardening with the kids, park playdates, cooking dinner together, projects, painting, library days, a trip to the zoo, lighthouse hopping, or piling in the car and exploring the coastline. And when she want to go big? Mani-pedis. Sometimes the best gap-week memories come from the simplest ideas.
Shira Green
Shira Green wants to know what would happen if we took away every screen, every device, and every source of digital stimulation for the full two weeks. No iPads, no phones, nothing.
“When we were kids and had to drive somewhere far, we never had any of that,” she says. “We stared out the window and played I Spy or the license plate game. Or we’d let our brains go off on a tangent and imagine ourselves in all sorts of scenarios. Our brains were so bored they had to work to entertain us.”
Shira thinks the same principle applies now. At first the kids would raid the Shabbat toy closet. But eventually? “They’d end up outside digging holes in the backyard, or picking up a book and learning something new. They might even follow you into the kitchen and beg you to teach them how to cook. Eventually the boredom takes over – and it retrains their brains to work for stimulation.” She signed off with: “Thank you for coming to my TED talk.”
Honestly, Shira, we were riveted.
However you spend that time, I hope it’s as pain-free and enjoyable as possible! Until next time – Frieda Schweky
Frieda Schweky is a community photographer and writer. For photography inquiries or article topic suggestions, email her at friedaschweky@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @friedaschwekyphoto.