Summer Camp Sign-up Hell
Some thoughts (adjfl;kajsdfl;kajsdf;lkajsdf)
On Saturday, I spent the hours between 8:30AM - 10:30AM in a nervous, over-caffeinated state of anticipation, because Saturday, January 14th marked the first day of summer camp sign-ups for my family.
Lest you think January 14th, 2023 was the first day summer camp started to pollute my brain, allow me to disabuse you. A friend sent me a spreadsheet entitled “Summer Camp Hellscape” on January fourth.
Upon tweeting this tweet, many, MANY people swooped in to clarify that summer camp angst had entered their lives far earlier than January fucking fourth; some starting fretting about summer camp in September. Some had to sign up for summer camp 2023 upon the conclusion of summer camp 2022! So while I understand that having to start multiple spreadsheets, conversations, and text threads in January is preferable to having to start weighing the pros and cons of a soccer camp 5 miles a way (but only a half day!) versus a seacoast science camp 30 minutes away (but full day!) in October, it still absolutely sucks.
It sucks because it requires significant coordination, anxiety over “getting in” (ie accessing childcare plus kid fun), money, and time. As the self-appointed summer camp czar in our family, I spend hours each winter texting at least 4 separate group threads about various summer camp plans. Some of this is my own doing - early on in their elementary school tenure, I (foolishly) signed my kids up for camps with their friends, and now it’s become an expectation. YES, OF COURSE, I could simply stop doing this, but for whatever reason, this is one particular way I’ve chosen to invest my mothering energy - giving my kids the gift of familiarity at theatre camp, outdoor adventure camp, and Lego camp.
On Saturday, January 14th, a coastal summer camp opened registration for members only at 9AM. While I genuinely love the place hosting the camp and believe in the importance of the work that they’re doing in terms of education and environmental stewardship, the main reason I have a membership is so that I can access early camp sign-up. This is not NOT bullshit.
At 9:02, I felt my shoulders relax ever so slightly upon receiving my email confirmation of a successful registration for a single week of summer camp. I went on to live another day of summer camp sign-ups, knowing that my summer camp planning will not end until the last sign-up, which occurs on March 15th.
At 9:27, a friend texted the thread the following: “WTF - waitlist only!” One of her kids had taken a face-plant onto the kitchen counter, and she had been too busy DEALING WITH BLOOD to be at her computer at 9AM. This particular camp opens up registration to non-members on February 1st. It goes without saying that non-members will be shit out of luck come February 1st.
