“Wait, what?! On a bus?” That’s been the reaction from fellow moms when I told them my 3.5-year-old daughter, Ella, would be going to day camp outside the city for the summer.
In fact, my husband’s exact words when I initially brought up the idea were: “ABSOLUTELY NOT.” But I truly felt that after a successful first year of preschool, she was ready. 
Full disclosure: I work with hundreds of summer camps as part of my profession, so I’ve been dreaming of my daughter going to camp since the day she was born. I wondered if maybe I was letting my own feelings get ahead of where my daughter was developmentally. So, just to be sure my instinct was correct and to get my husband on board, I scheduled a tour with Ella this February at a day camp in Rockland County.
I wanted to see Ella in the camp environment, and get a second opinion on her readiness from the camp director. Just a few minutes into the tour, I knew she felt at home—her smile said it all. So, for the next four months, we talked about taking a yellow bus, what to expect at camp, sang songs from the camp CD and watched the camp video over and over again.
On the first day of camp, Ella sprung out of bed, got dressed in a flash (no easy task for a toddler), grabbed her camp bag which she packed with me, and skipped to the bus stop. When the bus arrived, she kissed me goodbye without hesitation and went on to have one of the best days of her life. And I had one of my proudest days as a parent.
Jess Michaels is the director of communications at the American Camp Association. She lives on the Upper East Side with her husband and two children.
