The past year has been an ongoing tightrope for parents, with the home often functioning as a school, office, and daycare all rolled into one. As the country gradually takes the plunge back into a more normal summer, it should offer parents and kids more outlets for a much-needed break.
According to a recent CivicScience study, a majority of parents are ready to register their children for the same number of activities as they did pre-pandemic. Although many of these — youth sports, music lessons, scouts — continued during the pandemic in altered forms, expect a more robust return. Just a slim minority of parents are still registering for less than in pre-pandemic years, and even fewer parents aren’t registering for anything at all.
City residents are the least likely to register their children for the same number of activities as they did before the pandemic, with nearly two-thirds of rural parents opting to resume the normal activity level.
Many of these are short-term, recurring events that nonetheless take up significant time for parents and kids alike. A substantial number of parents are open to longer-term getaways for their children. Nearly one-fifth of parents are more likely to send kids away to day camps or sleep-away camps this year than they were before the pandemic, with a slim majority sending their kids to the same number of camps as before.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, parents in the higher income brackets are prepared to sign their children up for more sleep-away and day camps than before the pandemic. However, parents earning between $50,000 and $100,000 annually are most tentative about camps, with nearly 20% intending to sign their kids up for fewer day camps compared to pre-pandemic years.
After an endlessly challenging year, a majority of parents are ready to get their kids back on track with activities out of the house. It’s nothing personal; everyone needs a break, and they seem eager to let their kids make up for so much lost time.
