Thursday, July 3, 2014

Night Camp... Say What?

RING, RING...

ME: Hello?

HER: Hi, my name is [who knows?] and I am making a night camp for girls going into 4th and 5th grades.

ME: A Night camp?

HER: Yes, night camp. From 6:30-8 pm.

ME: No thank you, we have bedtime.

Am I crazy? Night camp so my child can be out later than her bedtime or perhaps get home right before she is expected to go to sleep? We have bedtime and we wind down before it. A child who is in a full summer camp program is exhausted at the end of the day. I cannot imagine sending Arielle to night camp so she will be even more exhausted.

On top of that, at 6:30 I am home alone with 4 kids. Even if I wanted to send my eldest to night camp, the younger 3 have to take baths, get in to pajamas, brush teeth and get songs and stories for their 7 pm bedtimes. How could I even consider dropping everything to drive Arielle to night camp?

You may say this program is good for some parents. Maybe they don't have bedtimes, younger siblings, spouses that work late, dinner to prepare (did I mention that I have to cook dinner?)... I just don't know who the market is for this particular program.

NEVER MIND how upset I am about the fact that the school must be distributing class lists because I get calls throughout the year about this camp and that camp for kids just my child's age... HOW DO THEY KNOW?

I will tell you that I have benefited from these camps in the past such as on Jewish fast days and between camp and school, etc. I still resent the fact that the school is giving out proprietary information to local teenagers.

So, I will not be sending any children to night camp. But thanks for calling!
Come again!