So my girls are coming home from camp next week…

amother

↑ OP

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:04 am

One thing that matters is that my girls are having a nice time. It would be totally different if they were unhappy and not doing well. I can relax knowing that they are safe and happy in a good camp with good friends and having a fun time. I wouldn’t come here like this if my girls were miserable and waiting to come home. That happens and I’m grateful that’s not the case here.

amother

↑ NeonGreen

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:07 am

Yeh.

You dont need to excuse yourself.

WE dont need to excuse ourselves.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Its healthy for kids-teens to be away from home and figure things out for themselves.

amother

Lime

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:19 am

amother Oatmeal wrote:

Yes. 95% of the moms with a teen or camp (even if only in the past summers) totally relate.
Thanks for making us feel normal.

So normal!! We need to recharge and reset to function properly the rest of the year.

amother

Heather

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:42 am

I always send my daughters second month. First month we wait to go, then finally... quiet..
My sons go away full summer.
This is my vacation, no apologies. I don't go anywhere. The money is spent on my kids to have a good time away.

amother

↑ Dimgray

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:42 am

amother PlumPink wrote:

Why do you assume that 95 percent of Yiddishe mamas have their kids in a sleep away camp? There are many other jewish families around the world like in Israel or Europe where there are no sleep away camps…just saying. The world is not just America.

What a lovely person you must be Smile

amother

Seagreen

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:46 am

amother OP wrote:

And I’m happy that they’ll be home.

But I have to say goodbye to some things before they barge into the front door with their duffel bags filled with dirty laundry and their mostly empty nosh boxes filled with wrappers, crumbs and stale food.

I haven’t heard any comments about my clothing or my suppers in a few weeks and that was nice.

The bedrooms look like nice girls bedrooms now, neat and clean the way they should look.

I can go to my car without hearing my girls call out- MAAA, where are you going? Can we come?

No one asked me if we’re doing anything or going anywhere the last few Sundays.

The house becomes very quiet by 10pm. Phones have not been ringing and friends are not hanging out on the front porch.

I haven’t been in a teen clothing store for weeks and my Amazon cart is empty.

A few times this month I opened my dryer and stared for a minute not believing that it was empty!

And before you know it, they’ll be back with overflowing duffel bags filled with dirty laundry…

They’ll sleep till 12pm the first day they come back and then the fun begins.

They’ll be talking on the phone till 1am leaving the phone wherever they last used it and it will be dead by the morning without us being able to locate it.

They’ll tell me about the grand trips their friends family’s are taking and asking if we can also go somewhere too.

The shopping will begin again spending hundreds on new school supplies, uniforms, winter clothing and shoes...

I’ll be spending lots of time in my car transporting them to friends and shopping centers. I noticed that lately I’m not filling up my car with gas as often!

I’ll hear about how hungry they are and how we never have anything good to eat in our house.

They’ll show me their camp pictures and tell me how much fun it was to stay up all night in camp and all the late night antics they were part of. For some reason, these antics are always more fun in the middle of the night….

And then the bickering will begin. The teasing that turns into fighting and asking me why I’m taking the other side and not standing up for them.

So I’m going to enjoy the last few quiet days.
I’m very thankful for my girls even if it doesn’t sound like I am. I waited 10 years for my kids be born!!

And I do miss them. I worry about them when they’re not home.

I just didn’t realize how much I needed some “me” time until now.

You described me to a T I'm laughing and crying at the same time. I get you!

amother

Smokey

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:02 pm

amother OP wrote:

Water bottles, plastic cups, spilled shampoo bottles!!! You totally get it!
Don’t forget hair brushes left on the kitchen counters..

Oh man, this doesn’t stop? My kids at 11 8 6…. Not in sleep away camp yet but omg the water bottles cups hairbrushes on the counter…..