Over the river and through the recession to grandmother's house they go. The lingering recession is forcing cash-strapped parents to cancel camp for the kids. Instead, they're being packed off to their grandparents'.
The
hundreds of dollars a week that would have paid for camp are being
diverted to more essential needs -- groceries, electricity and house
payments.
The arrangement shifts the child-care burden to
grandparents, many of whom enjoy the extra time with their
grandchildren. The kids' parents save money and get some time to
themselves. And the grandkids get more love and attention, and better
food.
"If this economic trouble is bringing people together,
that's a positive," said Georgia Hope Witkin, associate professor of
psychology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and a contributing
editor of the Web site Grandparents.com.
The American Camp
Association reports registration numbers are down at some of the
nation's 12,000 camps, but it's too early to estimate overall
attendance this year. Reports from around the country point to lower
turnout from Maine to Florida to Texas and elsewhere.
"Grandparents are the new summer camp," Witkin said.
Source: Baltimore Sun / Associated Press
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-grandparents-0720,0,3566561.story