Babysitting
Dear Frankie,
Summer vacation is coming up, and everyone at school is excited except me.
My mom was laid off during COVID and just got her job back. So that means canine day camp is out for me because I have to puppy sit my little brother Lionel.
I reminded my mom that I had a camp scholarship and suggested she use that money to hire a puppy sitter. She explained that I could not go to camp without a scholarship, and she couldn’t afford to hire a puppy sitter. She said she felt terrible because she knew how much it meant to me, and she would find a way I could attend camp next year.
Should I set up a Go Fund Me Account to raise money for Lionel’s care?
Rainey
Dear Rainey,
I understand you are upset, but a summer of puppy-sitting hardly qualifies for a Go Fund Me account.
Those funds are for desperate and tragic circumstances. You could contact the camp, explain your situation, and ask if they can assist you. They might offer to give Lionel a scholarship or shorten the time you were enrolled and use part of your scholarship funds to cover costs for Lionel to attend at the same time. You might also ask if you could work part-time to cover expenses for Lionel.
Have you checked to see if your town, city, or park department offers camps for needy families? If none of these solutions are possible, you need to think of ways you and Lionel can spend some pleasant time together; perhaps there are activities available at the library or the town pool. If all fails, in your golden years, you can talk about the summer you had to forego camp so that you could take care of your little brother. It’s not in the same category as walking a mile to school through rain, snow, and heat, but it’s up there.
Best, Frankie
© 2023 Geneva Woodruff
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