Close Enough for Independence, Close Enough for Rescue
Day Camp For Now
Many children in our neighborhood go to overnight camp.
I understand the appeal. I imagine there is a certain comfort in knowing that if you are working, you are not technically missing anything at home because the kids are not home either. They are off somewhere, making memories, excitedly eating cafeteria food, and hopefully being supervised by people trained in first aid and social-emotional learning.
But I cannot imagine sending the Demolition Brothers away just yet.
They could probably handle it. They are increasingly convinced they do not need me for anything. But I am also quite certain that no other person is going to supervise my rambunctious, accident-seeking sons with the same level of vigilance that I do.
So, for now, day camp it is.
🧠 Curious about the backstory and who the Demolition Brothers are? Meet the How Come? Kid and the Why? Guy here.
Monday was the first day of summer camp. One brother was off-the-wall excited! The other, who struggles with separation anxiety, was preparing to hate everything about it. I debated whether I should send a warning email to the camp director or just wait for a behavior-related phone call. It could go either way.
The slow-to-warm-up Why? Guy can quickly become a Wise Guy, especially when encouraged by his besties, who are also in attendance. And the How Come? Kid’s combustible energy can outlast any counselor, even in this week’s 100-degree heat.
The morning went surprisingly smoothly, mostly because Demolition Dad led mandatory power yoga before breakfast and then walked them (with friends) to camp.
Since Dad was dropping off instead of Mom, there were fewer separation issues on Day 1. On Day 2, they were walked halfway and finished the second leg by themselves. By Day 3, they knew the route and took off without an adult. Phew!
Even day camp comes with a surprising amount of gear and responsibility. They need a bag for wet stuff. They need to use the locker room for quick changes. They need to unpack wet bathing suits from waterproof bags at home. They need to hang their goggles and towels to dry. They need sunscreen, Nintendo-themed lunch boxes, water bottles, and sometimes, emotional support accessories like shark tooth necklaces or various odd gadgets like Bakugans or Bitzees.
When they came home after the first day, they were tired. (Yipee!) They were also out of water and had not eaten their sandwiches. So lunch had consisted of chips, apple slices, and the camp ice cream treat.
The Why? Guy’s water bottle had leaves and twigs inside. The How Come? Kid’s straw was floating around loose in his less-than-sanitary backpack.
So, despite their growing independence, I was reminded that a rising 2nd grader and rising 5th grader still need some very basic camp guidance:
Use the bathroom. Inside. In the actual bathroom.
Keep dirt, sticks, leaves, and anything that is not water out of your water bottle—and keep the straw in.
Walk directly to camp. Do not unpack your backpack on the way.
Do not take pocket knives to camp! Do not touch any pocket knives. At all!
To be clear, these reminders were not hypothetical. Every one of them became necessary within the first two days of camp. And after Day 2 pickup, I added one more reminder to the list: if you are covered in dirt, you have to walk home.
I first drove to the 2nd grade pickup area and found the Why? Guy rubbing dirt on his face, arms, and legs. Not brushing dirt off of himself. Lathering dirt on himself like sunblock.
Then I drove to the 5th grade pickup area, where the How Come? Kid was splashing nearby campers by heaving a large rock into a mud-filled pit created by water from his own water bottle.
Despite having the filthiest children at pickup, the second day had apparently gone beautifully. They walked to camp without issue, which means my delayed warning email to the director was probably the correct choice.
Further evidence: when asked about his favorite part of camp, the 7-year-old Why? Guy excitedly described what I could only call “trash talking” his buddies in the Gaga Pit.
(So, definitely the Wise Guy—not the “Why are you leaving me here?” Guy.)
And because camp survival requires both reminders and the right equipment, a few things that make camp easier for the Demolition Brothers’ Mother are:
(Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. I only share items we actually use or would recommend.)
A 100% cotton quick-dry towel, because regular towels become damp backpack bricks.
Wet/dry bags, so wet swimsuits and towels do not soak everything else in their backpacks. We have had ours for more than two years, and they are still in good shape.
A good snack bag, lunch box, and slim cooler packs, because summer camp lunches should stay cool even during a heat wave.
A shark tooth necklace, for when someone needs to feel fierce.
Overnight camp may be wonderful for some kids. But for these two? Not yet.
Day camp gives the Demolition Brothers a little freedom without sending them fully into the wilderness. They get old friends, new friends, swimming, games, excitement, and just enough independence to feel like big shots.
And I get them back at the end of the day: filthy, hungry, tired, mostly intact, and close enough for rescue. Because if I still cannot anticipate the reminders they need, I am pretty sure overnight camp counselors will not either.
New to Chasing Safety? Start Here with my most popular family safety articles.