You ever send your kid off to camp and feel like you’re finally going to get something done—only for the camp to last exactly 2 hours and require you to pack a cooler, sunscreen, bug spray, and emotional resilience? Yeah, same.

Summer camps are both a gift and a test. For remote working dads like us, it’s easy to assume camps = freedom. But unless you plan it right, they’re just a new kind of chaos.

Here’s the system that saved my summer (and my deadlines):

Batch Signups Early: Pick your camps in May. Lock it in like it’s Comic-Con.
Check Time Gaps: Watch out for awkward pickup times. I avoid anything that ends before 3 PM.
The Car is Your Office: Drop-off coffee shop Wi-Fi is your secret weapon.
Camp Backpack = Go Bag: Sunscreen, bandaids, inhaler, extra shirt, ziplock of goldfish crackers.
Say No to Overkill: They don’t need 4 different camps. They need 1 good one and time to be bored.

Closing Thought:

Being a summer dad while working remotely is a juggling act. You’re gonna drop a ball. It’s fine. You’re still the one making it all happen. And that’s enough.