It's Friday, Issue #146
The Mommy Experiment, Take 3
Two years ago, I divested from the Summer Camp Industrial Complex by pausing work to stay home with my children. It made fiscal sense: although I was earning less than the cost of summer childcare for three kids, I was privileged enough to be able to step away from work for a season.
That first summer was pretty wonderful: not-writing is the easiest thing in the world, and I allowed myself to sink into a low stakes summer schedule with my kids. I felt lucky to get that time with them.
Last year, I repeated the experiment to mixed results. For one, I was crabby about putting aside the first draft of my new novel, and the tension between wanting to write and not being able to write made me resentful. Also, the kids’ one week of summer camp came right before our big trip abroad—our first substantial family travel since 2021! By the time we returned to the States, I felt disconnected from my novel. It took real effort to get back into my regular writing practice once school began.
This year, I decided I needed to change up the summer plans. Read on to find out how I’m tinkering with the Mommy Experiment…