Camp: No Longer a Four-Letter-Word

After a series of unfortunate experiences, "camp" had become a four-letter-word for Sweet M.

There was that well-intentioned but understaffed day camp in Westchester County. And then there were the dangerously untrained counselors in an inclusive program at a local youth organization. And finally the camp we dropped out of before we even sent Sweet M when we learned that the camp director had posted positive evaluations of the camp at an online parenting site posing as the parent of a camper.

Sweet M would say "I don't do camp" or "don't say that word." So camp has been off the list of acceptable activities, and even of acceptable utterances.

So I didn't tell Sweet M she was going to camp. I told her she was going to the horseback riding place to do riding and other stuff. That worked -- she spent a blissful and exhausting week playing soccer, doing yoga, swimming, creating arts and crafts projects, and, best of all from her point of view, riding. She'd fall asleep at 9 with a rosy suntan and wake up at 6:30 ready to go.

On the last day parents could visit and I shot a short clip . . . Tally ho!