My kids have amazing summers!
They get to spend 9 glorious weeks at the summer sleepaway camp that I grew up at. A place that has always been my second home and my safe place to land. I started going right after my own parent’s divorce and continued well into adulthood as staff. When I could no longer take summers off I still made sure to visit and attend alumni functions every chance I got. My camp family was always in touch.
Shortly after my own divorce I returned for an entirely different kind of summer, with my twin 3 year olds in tow.
I was able to give my babies a safe place to land as well. And we thrived!
And we continue to thrive. Summers away give kids a chance to explore and challenge themselves in the best way possible. We unplug from the world, we unplug from our devices, we unplug from so many of our daily stresses.
It also turns our parenting schedule entirely upside down. My ex only sees them one day a week for the whole summer. I get to be with them every night but on my only day off each week, I am bringing them back home to visit her. We all give up something. And it’s not without difficulty, but it brings so much reward.
This summer our babies grew in leaps and bounds. They went on hikes, they learned to swim almost entirely without their puddlejumpers. They navigated new friendships and being reunited with old friends. They learned to handle crowded dining rooms and social scenes they don’t get to encounter at home. They went to a water park and the movies, learned songs and dances. They spent the summer being kids and came home ready for kindergarten.
They have no idea what this means for them yet, what seeds we planted. But one day they will be so glad we didn’t spend the summer fighting over who gets to have the kids when and instead gave the summer to them. It’s not my time or my exes time. It’s their time. And they loved it!
