Tag Archives: camp stories

Why is Sending Kids to Sleepaway Camp So Freakin Stressful

Sending the kids to camp is supposed to be this delightfully awesome time of freedom and reprieve, but it’s not for me.

So, as you can tell from the last post, (Confessions of an Irrational Mom), I’ve been totally anxiety stricken lately.  I wasn’t able to put my finger on why, until I looked at my finger and saw that I’d done this to my beautifully manicured gel nails.

Since this pic, I've ripped the overlay completely off with my teeth and bitten them to the quick. Annie, I'll see you in a month.

Then it dawned on me, it’s camp.  Sending my son to camp makes me mildly certifiable.  Knowing I  have NO control over whether my baby puts on sunblock or brushes his teeth, or eats Fruity Pebbles everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or runs with flip-flops on rocky terrain, or doesn’t make the intercamp team, or gets taken advantage of.

Look, I get it — Continue reading →

Why is it So Hard Sending Kids off to Camp

The other day I got my first letter from my son. It was signed thus: “Mom, I love you sooooo much. Let’s keep in touch.”

Really? Let’s keep in touch? Shall we, shall we do that? Hmmm?

I don’t know where he learned that particular sign-off or if someone told him to write KIT (Keep in touch) at the end of each letter and he decided to formalize it, but the “Let’s” is really the kicker, huh?

You see, “Keep in Touch” as a phrase is simple.  It implies that the other person should write often. “Let’s keep in touch” implies that he’s decided to move out or that we’ve just run into each other at the mall after years apart and one of us needs to run off because a cute outfit in the just caught our eye.

Brunette says, Let's Keep in Touch. Blond says, Not if you buy that sweater vest!


Let’s Keep in Touch says:

“You know, it’s so easy to lose touch these days, let’s not let that happen to us.”

“Hearing from you was so nice, why don’t we make a real effort to keep each other up to date and not let too long of a span go by.”

“I’ve always enjoyed you, I don’t want to let our distance tear us apart, if we can help it.”

Well, gosh darn’it, I will keep in touch. I know, easier said than done, but I mean it. I know you will too, because the rent on your new apartment won’t come cheap and I don’t think they accept stars.