Mom who sent daughters, 11 and 13, to seven-week sleepaway camp hits out at critics after being slammed online
A mom-of-two is hitting back at critics who took issue with her sending her daughters to seven weeks of sleepaway camp.
Rachael Potash rushed to her own defense in an interview with People, after a series of TikTok's chronicling the seemingly normal send-off appeared to anger several online.
Confronted with comments criticizing her decision as crass, she told the publication how she was left 'shocked' by the response.
The videos in question show her enjoying time with her kids before seeing them off, and her perusing photos of their camp-related exploits.
The girls are aged 11 and 13, and appeared exceedingly excited about their seven-week stay.
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Rachael Potash rushed to her own defense in an interview with People Tuesday, after a series of TikTok 's chronicling the seemingly normal send-off appeared to anger several online
The girls are aged 11 and 13, and appeared exceedingly excited about their seven-week stay. They are seen setting off last month with Rachael and her partner
A dissatisfied Rachael in turn recalled, 'I started sharing how I spend my time with my daughters and what we do before they leave for summertime.
'It was this beautiful thing of me making their favorite dinner for their last dinner and having their stepsister come over when it wasn't even her week to come say goodbye to them,' she said, referencing one of the send-off videos.
'It was about making these really special moments with my kids, and it turned into "You're a bad parent for sending them away for seven weeks,"' the peeved mother said.
She went on to reveal how the girls' father passed four years ago, and was also a fan of sleepaway camps - a common concept in the United States.
"He grew up going to sleepaway camp,' she said of her late spouse.
'I couldn't believe it, leaving home for the whole entire summer, but he'd tell me, 'No, you don't understand. It was the best time of my life.'
Based on the clips gaining traction online, the girls seem to agree - happily embarking on the nearly two-month stay last month.
Rachael also appeared to relish in the occasion, treating them to treats, festivities, and a full-blown feast prior to the day they departed their home in South Florida
Confronted with comments criticizing her decision as crass, she told the publication how she was left 'shocked' by the response
She went on to reveal how the girls' father passed four years ago, and was also a fan of sleepaway camps - a common concept in the United States
With the girls still away all the way in Maine, the mom described some of the comments she's been receiving, and why they spurred her to speak out.
'I made one video as a response making fun of the backlash I was getting and how crazy it was to me. Who should ever tell another parent what they should or shouldn't do?' she said at a point in the interview.
'I think the point really got lost for some people,' she continued, keeping calm.
'I'm glad there's a conversation because it's important to talk about it and open up some people's minds about what is actually healthy for a child.'
She went on to explain more of the now annual dynamic, describing how it's been the norm for the past five years.
'They go up there with a bunch of other kids from Florida. We all meet at the airport at 6:30am,' she said.
'They have older group leaders who chaperone the girls as they fly from Miami to Boston. Then, they take a bus from Boston up to Maine.
'It's a very long day for them, but we load them up with goodies and they have a lot of fun. They know that they're going to their summer home. It's a major bonding experience.'
With the girls still away all the way in Maine, the mom described some of the comments she's been receiving, and why they spurred her to speak out. She advised others to not be so quick to judge, and assured them her family was a happy one
She also said how she thinks other kids whose parents might not be so open to such a concept would benefit from being in nature, away from smart phones and tablets that have become so prevalent in American households.
'My daughter wrote me a letter the other day. She said, "My shower is outside and I feel so at one with nature,"' Rachael recalled.
'We live in this digital world where so many of us are literally living our lives online.
'These girls are getting to experience life living in the moment, outside making s'mores and going water skiing, and making lifelong friendships.'
In conclusion, the mom-fluencer express hope that other parents will follow suit, and realized that things perhaps out of their own comfort zone are not indefinitely set in stone.
,'It's not really about you,' she said Tuesday. 'You already had your childhood. You already grew up. Now it's their time.
'You know your kid best,' she went on, urging others to 'ask [their children] about it [and] start a conversation,
'It's fine if you have a kid who has a ton of anxiety and would never want to be away from home,' she said. 'I'd never say to force a kid to do it.
'But for kids who do enjoy it, there's this saying: They're living 10 months of the year for these two months. That's how camp kids live, ten for two. Let them have that chance.'
