How We Threw Our Daughter Under the Bus for a Day of Fun

home insemination Kit

A couple of years ago, my partner Mike and I had a sweet little ritual every Sunday. We’d hire a babysitter to watch Lily, our then 3-year-old, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This was our time to enjoy brunch, stroll through our neighborhood in Brooklyn, and take our dog to play fetch. Most importantly, it was a chance for us to reconnect after a week filled with work and endless responsibilities.

Those three hours felt like a warm-up for what was to come. At 1 p.m. sharp, we’d relieve the sitter, put Lily down for her nap, and then head to the bedroom for some quality time together. Ah, those were the days! Until the inevitable happened: Lily decided naps were for babies, and our little tradition crumbled.

Fast forward a few years. Lily is now 5 and in kindergarten, and Mike and I are both freelancers working from home. We try to squeeze in as much work as possible before her dismissal at 2:45 p.m., which means one of us is always on kid duty. With a tight budget, we cherish the time we spend with Lily—except when school’s out, which is a whole different ballgame.

One April, as Lily’s spring break loomed, we were hit with that familiar dread of working parents who can’t afford family vacations or babysitters (our usual sitters had day jobs). Yep, we were staring down a full week with our daughter at home. Yikes!

In our frantic scramble for playdates and new movies on Netflix, an email from her school popped up, announcing a spring break camp. Excitement filled the air as other parents chimed in about which days they were signing up for. “Sophia’s doing Tuesday Zoo, Bowling Thursday, and Movie Friday!” one mom exclaimed. I figured we could manage two days of camp.

Lily chose Arts & Crafts Wednesday—a day full of creative activities and a playground trip, plus gardening in the school’s garden, which was a huge draw for her. Unfortunately, by the time I registered, Bowling Thursday was full. I paid the $90 for Wednesday, relieved that at least she’d have one fun day.

Then a lightbulb went off. Mike and I deserved some fun too! It was spring break, after all. I told him to clear his schedule for “Date Day and Fun Time Wednesday.”

Spring break arrived, and after two days with Lily at home, we were all ready for camp. But when we got to the school, something felt…off. The entrance was open, but there were no signs indicating where the camp was or even acknowledging its existence.

Mike chuckled, “Do you think camp is at a different place?”

“It can’t be,” I replied, as another dad and his kid descended the stairs, equally confused. We followed some distant noises to the cafeteria, where an unadorned woman handed us a clipboard to sign Lily in and then wandered off.

“Shouldn’t there be a camp counselor?” Mike whispered. I scanned the room filled with kids and a few adults who didn’t seem to be supervising.

In front of us were four DIY activity stations: crayons and paper, sticks and marshmallows, Legos, and dolls.

I silently prayed to my agnostic god: Please let this be a temporary setup until the real activities began.

We put on our best smiles. “Lily, look! Crayons and paper! How about drawing?” She sat down with a sigh. We hugged her goodbye and left without anyone even noticing.

Once outside, I said, “That was a bit depressing.”

Mike took my hand. “She’ll be fine.”

“Anyone could walk in and take a kid, and no one would even notice,” I countered.

“After all we’ve done for her, she can take one for the team! Trust me.” With that, we let our guilt go and officially kicked off our day date. We wandered, grabbed breakfast, and then opened a bottle of bubbly we’d bought just for the occasion.

Time flew by, just like in any babysitting situation, and soon it was time to pick Lily up. At least we knew where to go this time!

Lily dashed toward us. “Mommy! Daddy!” We enveloped her in a hug. Before leaving, she said goodbye to Mia, a new friend she’d made.

“So, how was it?” I asked eagerly.

She dramatically sighed. “I didn’t like it that much.”

“Oh no,” I felt deflated. “Why not?”

“Looks like you made a new friend,” Mike commented.

“Well, we didn’t get to plant, and we didn’t do arts and crafts.”

“Did you at least go to the playground?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she replied, unimpressed. “It just felt like a really long day.”

Guilt crept in as I mentally drafted a complaint email for a refund. But by dinner, Lily had bounced back, and I figured the school, despite this hiccup, deserved the money.

Today marks the start of Lily’s summer break—eight weeks of fun. She’s going to camp for the whole month of July. I know she’ll love it—not just because it’s not in the cafeteria, but because we visited their open house, and it was awesome. Next April, when spring break rolls around again, I’ll remember to sign her up faster than ever, make sure she only goes on field trip days, and definitely buy two bottles of bubbly instead of one.

In Summary

We navigated the challenges of spring break as busy parents, trying to balance fun for both our daughter and ourselves. Our experience at the camp was less than ideal, but it taught us valuable lessons for the future. As we move forward, we look forward to making even more delightful memories.

For more tips and insights on home insemination, you can check out this resource. If you’re looking to learn more about at-home options, this kit is a great resource. Also, for those curious about the medical side, this article provides useful information.