Parenthood is a series of relentless Murphy’s Laws: kids wake up earlier on weekends, stomach bugs always strike just before vacations, and messes appear miraculously when the house is finally clean. Recently, I stumbled upon a new one: the child you send off to overnight camp will act like an absolute angel in the days leading up to their departure, making it even harder to say goodbye. That’s exactly what happened with my daughter, Mia.
Honestly, I would have preferred some typical pre-camp attitude—like door slamming, eye-rolls, or a good old-fashioned tantrum. Instead, Mia has been on her best behavior lately. She’s been sweet, helpful, and annoyingly loving. Just last night, she told me I was her best friend. Really?
So here I am, the archetypical mom, obsessively refreshing the camp website, thinking about how awful overnight camp is and how it’s probably the worst idea ever. Independence? Overrated. Fun? She can have that at home. Memories? I’ll finally tackle her baby book. All I want is for her to come back.
At least then, maybe she can tell me how much she can’t stand me and how I’m the most embarrassing person in her life. Is that really too much to ask? I just want my girl back.
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In summary, the bittersweet reality of parenting is that the time apart is tough, especially when your child seems to be on their best behavior right before they leave. As much as I want them to grow and gain independence, the longing for their presence is overwhelming.