This year, some parents are scaling back their holiday ambitions and getting creative to entertain their kids in affordable ways. For others, family outings are a rare luxury. Testimonials.
“Our vacations are a bit boring,” says Geneviève Simard, a single mother of two pre-teens. “We’re going to stay home and do activities in nature.”
This year, the economic situation has reduced the income of his publishing business, at the same time as everything is costing more.me Simard therefore does not have the means to take his young people on a little trip to the United States, as they used to do.
She finds it unfortunate that her children might find their summer program a little less exciting than their friends’. Given the tighter-than-usual budget, many activities will also be out of reach. A three-hour treetop adventure would cost her family about $150. Three admissions to a water park would cost closer to $200, including tax.
Mme Simard considers herself lucky to live in Quebec City, near nature parks, because she will be able to take her children hiking during their August vacation. “Star hunting,” which involves going “to the back of a row” at a late hour to look at the sky, is also popular with her tribe. For the rest, they will probably play board games.
Until recently, Montrealer Joannie Boire could afford to go to the Côte-Nord for a week with her child, now 8 years old. At the end of July, she has a week of vacation with him while he takes a break from day camp. But this summer, she is single and her budget is tighter, despite a stable income.
“I thought we were going to go camping together. But the closer we get to the date, the more I do the math and I tell myself that we won’t be able to go anywhere during this week, unfortunately,” she laments.
She feels like she’s already exhausted all the ideas for free or cheap outings in and around Montreal. The price of activities that are a little out of the ordinary, like La Ronde, water slides or a day at the beach — other than the one in Verdun — gives her a little anxiety.
“And even if you go to a free activity, your child is going to be hungry or thirsty, you’re going to want to buy them a treat. There are always costs,” she says.
As she can less and less afford to go out of town, she is considering selling her car, which is also very expensive. She is trying to find original activities to do at home.
“It just sucks not to have the means to do something with your child. It’s a strange feeling,” she says, her throat tight.
Public swimming pools and free shows
Annie Labelle is unable to afford almost any outings for her seven children during the summer. “We have never travelled outside the country, but before, we would spend a week or two in other regions of Quebec. Over the years, we have gone from hotels to camping, then from camping to lodging with friends. This year, we are going to go to the park with toys borrowed from a community organization,” explained this stay-at-home mother.
To prevent his children from complaining about the time being long, Mme Labelle actively seeks out free activities, such as shows in parks and visiting museums on the first Sunday of the month. She frequents public swimming pools and water games.
Last year, she won four tickets to the Voiles en Voiles adventure park in the Old Port of Montreal through a contest. But for all her interested children to participate, she would have to add two tickets to the aerial park, which would still cost her more than $120. “We’re going to do it, but not right away,” the mother said.
Montrealer Maude Landreville also believes that public infrastructure such as swimming pools and parks, as well as landscaped alleys, are essential for many children who spend the summer mostly in the city, including hers. However, some of them lack maintenance or are closed, she regrets.
Joannie Chassé, for her part, deplores the fact that the offer of free family activities, especially for young children, is very limited in regions other than Montreal. “Not only are the activities expensive, but they are also far away, and require more transportation, therefore additional expenses,” says the woman who lives in the Laurentians.
Mental load
For her part, Catherine Paulin believes that budgeting for family activities has become a heavy mental burden. In particular, you have to compare the costs of different options, think about lunches and determine which type of transportation, between car, public transit and bike, is the most advantageous in the circumstances.
“The most expensive of our activities was, by far, La Ronde — even with our passes and the fact that our daughter gets in for free,” says this lecturer and PhD candidate in history. “The costs to eat there are exorbitant, for mediocre quality food, but it’s impossible to bring your own lunch. Even for pick-your-own [de fruits], […] Some places now charge an entrance fee that does not include the basket and is almost as high as not picking it ourselves.”
Marie-Ève St-Germain, a worker in a shelter for troubled teenage girls, has to entertain, with her colleagues, up to nine girls aged 12 to 17 on school break. And the task is increasingly difficult, she judges.
“Going to the water park with nine girls is not possible,” she emphasizes. Even renting watercraft for a day outdoors can weigh heavily on the organization’s finances. The workers must redouble their efforts to find sponsors and come up with low-cost entertainment.
“It has become a luxury to do activities,” says M.me St-Germain. Yet, she believes, it is part of what is important for mental health.