So my girls are coming home from camp next week…

amother

OP ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:29 am

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.

amother

Indigo

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 10:30 am

yessss!!!

amother

Lightyellow

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:03 am

YESSSSSS!!!

I'm due any day and everyone is like what your dd is in camp for the full summer, how will you manage without her help!

I miss her! But OTOH I'm enjoying the ME time! and not in the mood of a teen while I'm also hormonal PP.

I hope I go into labor when she comes home this weekend, I can use her help!

amother

Oatmeal ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:07 am

Yes yes yes
Also my chocolate bar stays whole without mysteriously disappearing

amother

Dimgray ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:11 am

I love this OP, you very accurately described what 95% of yiddishe mamahs are feeling now.

I also find myself feeling guilty when dreading their arrival, like I need to convince myself that it's Ok for me to have enjoyed my quiet down time and it doesn't make me a bad mother for missing it.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:12 am

I have teen boys.
They're leaving to camp in 2 weeks and I'm counting down the days.
No waking anyone for minyan at 7:15.
No coming home at 10:30 at night, ready for a long schmooze, a whole meal.
No begging for rides here and there.
No socks under beds and magazines left all over the house.

amother

Sand

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:16 am

I can’t tell you how much better this post makes me feel.

I adore my daughter but I haven’t missed her a single minute and I feel beyond awful about it.

She’s such a sweet child. And I don’t even miss her. I feel the worst. But this is so validating.

Thanks so much!

amother

NeonGreen ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:20 am

I have 2 kids in camp, 16 and 14.
Omg, my house is so clean without them!

There's no water bottles amd cups laying all over my house.
There's no spilled shampoo bottles, theres exact amount of towels as my children using the shower.
No crumbled tissues everywhere,
I can go on....

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:28 am

Wow… I wasn’t expecting this response! I thought everyone was going to tell me how ungrateful I am… so glad I’m not alone and I’m sorry for anyone who is reading this and wishing for something like this.

Believe me, I know what it means to have a difficult and unwell child unfortunately….
I appreciate that my girls bring the normal kind of chaos into my life but it’s chaos and apparently I need a break from chaos.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:30 am

amother Oatmeal wrote:

Yes yes yes
Also my chocolate bar stays whole without mysteriously disappearing

The ice cream isn’t getting eaten! I’m getting all of it for myself 😊

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:32 am

amother NeonGreen wrote:

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

amother

Yarrow

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:43 am

This thread is scaring me 😂 my kids are all still little and my life is plenty chaotic BH but this sounds like a whole new level 😂

amother

Hydrangea

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 11:58 am

it's so nice to know there are people who dont think an entire day how to cover the bills

amother

↑ NeonGreen ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:33 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..

Yup!
And my 14 yr old is a boy!

And instead of us using 7-8 bottles milk a week.
Were using only 4.

The shobbas cereal lasts past motza shobbas.

My grocery bill is considerably less...

My 11 yr old gets to sit in the front seat (until Sunday iyh

amother

Pistachio

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:39 pm

same!!! but boys version.. I dont have the patience to right it up but someone else gave a bit of an idea..only mine are already coming home not going now as hers are:)

amother

PlumPink

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:43 pm

amother Dimgray 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.

mha3484

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:51 pm

deleted was probably not nice to comment.

Last edited by mha3484 on Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

↑ Oatmeal ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:54 pm

amother PlumPink wrote:

She obviously meant 95% of the moms who have teens in camp now. Obviously many don't have kids that age yet or already are empty nesters or don't send to camp for whatever reason.
Please don't put a damper on a lighthearted thread by nitpicking.

amother

↑ Oatmeal ↓

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:56 pm

amother OP 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.

amother

↑ Oatmeal

Fri, Jul 26 2024, 12:57 pm

mha3484 wrote:

deleted was probably not nice to comment.

I saw your comment. It can make an interesting conversation for a spin off.
This thread is supposed to be funny. Thanks for deleting.