Moser Family Profile
Working mom and dad with 4 children; nannyFather: Robert Kim, DDS
Profession: Dentist
Mother: Noel Moser, DDS, MS
Profession: Orthodontist
Nanny: Victoria, 37
Children: Lauren (7), Hannah (6), Aubrey (4), Mathew (14 months)
Pets: Golden Retriever (Bella), Cat (Montana)
What are you, as a family, most looking forward to this summer?
Summer camps and a family road trip to Tahoe. The kids are already asking about camps. They are really excited about helping us plan which summer camps they get to go to. At least the idea of a road trip with 4 kids, 7 and under, always sounds good when you are planning it. The excursion…well…that is always another adventure! I remember two years ago, we all drove up to Tahoe. On our way back down, we decided last minute, that I would fly home with all the kids, and dad would drive home by himself. It was the funniest thing, because we actually called to book the flights about thirty minutes into the road trip home. This year, our goal is to make the family road trip, in the car, both ways!
As summer approaches, how are you currently preparing to be sure your children will be engaged/not bored?
Summer planning takes a few months to finalize. It is definitely an organizational feat. I start by collecting brochures that have information about summer camps the children would enjoy. We look through them as a family and start mapping out a calendar for the 10 weeks of summer. This is where it gets a little crazy. We use a spreadsheet that is color coded for each different child, for each different camp. If there is a conflict with multiple camps during the same time, we have the children rank which ones they want. Once we get the calendar organized, we enroll immediately. This ensures they don’t run out of space, and also allows us to invite our friends to participate as well. Last year, we had the kids enrolled in camps every week, except three. It was our first year with the kids in so many summer programs, and it was by far their most exciting summer. Every night when we would sit down to have dinner, all they could talk about was the new experiences they had at the camp. We start getting them excited about camps now, so they can invite friends to join the camps with them. We really like seeing the children continue developing the relationships they made during the school year. Last summer we had the great opportunity to attend camp with many friends, some of which included friends they didn’t get to spend much time with during the school year.
What is the biggest obstacle you tend to face when summer arrives?
We are very fortunate to live in an area that is so kid-friendly. There are so many things to choose from, and only 10 weeks to pack it all in. Being organized and planning ahead helps us overcome this obstacle. One of the obstacles is getting everyone to where they need to be, when they need to be there, with what they need. Again, as long as we stay organized, things run pretty smoothly, but this is much easier said than done.
As two working parents of four children, how does you work schedule change in the summer?
We take one week off during the summer for a family vacation. Otherwise, our schedule remains pretty much the same. Since the days are longer, we have time after work to spend with the children to go to the park, or just enjoying a bike ride around the community. We also move their bedtime to one hour later than during the school year. Funny, but they don’t mind that so much.
Is there a particular summer program/camp you recommend to others in the community?
Last summer our kids really enjoyed the following camps:
- San Diego Wild Animal Park camp, where they go to shadow a zookeeper all week.
- Mission Bay Water Sports Multi-Sport camp, where they learned to kayak, boogie board, paddle board, and ride on a catamaran. They did things on this camp that even I haven’t done.
- Helen Woodward Animal Center, they learned to care for a different animal each day. This was one of their favorite camps.
- The Boys and Girls cooking camp was wonderful, as it got them excited about trying different foods, and they created a receipe book. They could not wait to cook their new recipe for me!
- Gymnastics Camp at Gyminny Kids was a great way to expose them to gymnastics. They enjoyed the camp so much that they have continued going there for gymnastics during the school year.
- Maranatha had a soccer camp and cheerleading camp they really enjoyed. Every night the family got to learn a new cheer! I started to look forward to them coming home after camp each day to see what they would teach me next.
What summer programs are you planning on having you children participate in?
There are so many great camps nearby. This year again, we are considering Helen Woodward , Boys and Girls club cooking, and Mission Bay Aquatics. A few new camps we are looking into are YMCA Art/Imagination, or animal/science camp. Ruben H. Fleet Science Center Camps for grades 1 & 2, ice skating camp at the Mira Mesa ice rink, summer camp at color me mine, and a horseback riding camp. They have been begging to do ice skating and horseback riding lessons, so this year, camp will be a great way to try it for a week, before committing to many months of lessons.
How do you continue to promote education in the summer months?
We feel it is important to continually engage the children’s developing minds. We highly value the traditional classroom school education, but we also value the learning that takes place through experiences outside of school. Summer time gives us a great opportunity to do this. We pick a variety of summer camps that engage different parts of their brain. We try to get camps that have physical activity, enhance their creativity, teach a new skill, incorporates science, teach them to nurture/care for animals, and most importantly have FUN. We encourage the children to read books they enjoy daily. We have family game nights where we play board games the engage math and counting skills. It’s so great when they don’t even know they are learning.
Do you intend to participate in the Library Summer reading program?
Definitely! Our whole family has participated in the program, including us (the parents). It was a great family competition to see who could read more books. The children get so excited about completing their reading logs, and proudly earning their prizes. In the past, they have earned tickets to the San Diego County Fair, and free hamburgers. I remember them saying how much more delicious the hamburger was compared to the one’s we normally buy them. What more could a kid ask for! The program is so flexible, that even my three year old was able to participate.
Can you tell us the biggest benefits as well as the hardships with having a nanny care for your children while you both work?
We are very fortunate to have the greatest nanny. Our entire family thinks the world of her. She makes our lives easier and much more organized. She makes it so when we get home from work, all we have to do is enjoy our time with the kids. We always wonder how she gets it all done! She allows the children to participate in so many activities, especially during the summer. This allows us the flexibility to work at our practices. We all work together as a team, and without each one of us, we would not be able to have our kids in so many activities. The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages of having a nanny. As any parent would feel, we want to be present for every second of everything our child does. Since we both work, this cannot happen. It just means we have to maximize the time that we do have with our kids. I try to be there in other way in their lives…as their Girl Scout leader, room mom, team parent for softball and soccer. I try to do as many things on weekends and after working hours that I can with the kids. But the bottom line is I can’t be there as much as I would love to be in their lives!
Is a summer vacation outside 92127 in you plans for this summer?
We will take a vacation to Northern California, where Robert’s parents live. We get to spend some quality time with them, before heading up to one of our favorite destinations, Lake Tahoe. There we enjoy going on nature hikes, swimming, and bike riding. It is a wonderful retreat where we can devote all of our attention to one another, and spend time as a family.
How do you attempt to stay on a routine schedule when the children are out of school?
The only way our family of six can function, is that we stay on routine. We have color coded calendars that help orchestrate all the activities for every member of our family. We even schedule in our baby’s naps around all the activities! Every night we look ahead to the next day and make sure we have it covered and we know who is going where.
What is the best thing about summer in 92127?
We absolutely love the local parks. Our children can spend hours at each park, and there are so many of them. The roads are bike and rollerblade friendly. The beaches are just a close drive away. Wonderful hiking trails nearby. We are near so many amusement parks, museums, and aquariums. Restaurants and shops are so conveniently located. But the best thing about 92127…is the people that live here. We love bumping into our friends at the nearby restaurant, or when taking a walk. We love the people that make up the community.
