Summer camps vs part-time babysitters: What works for you?

Summer school breaks can be fun for the first few days, but can turn extremely exhausting for both parents and children when the eight weeks drag along. Trouble mounts further if there are no trips planned to the home country or out-of-town holidays.

Most families in Dubai find summer camps, which spring up by the dozen during these months, the only relief.

From sports to arts to music, there’s great variety promised to keep the young minds energised and away from trouble. Finding a spot in some of the reputed camps can be tough, and would mean planning ahead.

Often, the only hiccup is pricing, with many parents opting out because it’s tough to budget the camps in their monthly expenses.

Several summer camps in the UAE charge roughly between Dh400 and Dh850 per week although there are those that could go up to Dh1,500 or more a week.

While some allow daily rates, others offer discounts for monthly payments or purchases on group buying websites. Some even offer sibling discounts, and transportation for an extra fee.

“I would love to enrol my child in one of the summer camps, but it’s just too expensive. Even if we find a place that charges Dh250 per week (like with a group buying website offer), it would still work out to Dh1,000 per month for a 3-hour camp. And, the transportation will be additional,” explained Sheetal, a parent of a four-year-old girl living in Executive Towers in Business Bay.

Another parent living in the same building agreed. “There’s a wide range on offer, but nothing that fits my budget. The better the facilities and activities, the more expensive it becomes. The cheaper options either are located far away, or appear distrustful.”

Many parents, however, have registered their children for summer camps.

“I’ve enrolled my five-year-old for football and swimming camps this summer, and I’m glad I did it. He’s having a great time, and is learning a new sport. He’s also made new friends,” said Carolina, who lives in Dubai Marina.

“It isn’t cheap but since I’m at work and unable to plan any play dates or activities at home, I think summer camps work best,” added another parent.

There are those that complain that some camps advertise big but fail to deliver.

“When we signed up, they said kids would be taught gymnastics, but after my daughter started the camp, I found out that they just escort the kids to a special room for gymnastics and just let them be. There’s no gymnastics teacher,” George, a parent of a three-year-old said.

Even the timings were changed from when they had registered, he alleged, forcing him to pay for extra hours because he and his partner are both working.

Another resident in Bur Dubai had a similar experience.

“I’ve signed up my nieces for two weeks in a camp in Karama, and it’s turning out to be a nightmare,” said Nitya Shah. “Either they are being bullied by other kids and no action is being taken to protect them, or they are left to learn skills on their own.”

But, what could work out cheaper is to hire babysitters from private firms. It would definitely be more economical if you have more than two kids at home. This would also mean the kids get personal attention, and are let to stay within the comforts of their homes.

Babysitting firms in Dubai usually offer the services for about Dh40 per hour, and for a minimum three-hour period, which is how long the camps usually run through to a day, would total to Dh120. It would total to Dh600. This could clearly work out cheaper than what most summer camps costs.

Do the math

Summer camps -  Dh850 per week for 3 hours
   
Babysitters - Dh40 per hour for 4 hours = Dh160 per day = Dh640 per week

Summer camps - Dh3,400 a month (this would double if you have two kids)

Babysitters - Dh2,560 per month

Also read: Have you picked the right summer camp yet?

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.