Esther McCarthy: Summer camps, and why they're essential for school holiday survival

"Making a new friend outside of school and local sports is so good for them too. It’s a little confidence boost, I think. It’s a chance for them to start fresh, from scratch, be whoever they want to be on that particular week."

"Camps buy time and space. They let us work, rest, and even — don’t tell them I said this, I’ll deny it — miss our kids a tinchy bit."

The summer, even the Irish kind, has many attributes for which we parents must be thankful.

It’s a time to take a break from all the rushing and racing of term-time schedules, for one thing.