14 y/o DS worried about shower situation at camp

[Anonymous]

DS (14) is interested in possibly going to a summer camp that one of his friends liked. However, he's worried about one thing: the showers. He's very modest (not sure why, to be honest -- our family is pretty body-positive and definitely not prudish). The showers, based on what his friend said and a video in the camp's website, seem to be in the cabin's bathroom and are individual and curtained. I told DS that people probably wear towels on the way to and from the showers, but that didn't help because he said he wouldn't feel comfortable with that level of nudity. He also is worried about where to change without being seen. His friend has been reassuring but she's a girl (the camp has both boys and girls) and he thinks it might be "different for boys". I don't want my son to miss a great experience because of this. What should I do?

[Anonymous]

No advice except this is his hill to conquer. Every 14 year old boy has to figure it out. No one likes it. Some boys will wear their underwear in the shower so he can pack extra for that purpose.

[Anonymous]

There is probably a place to hang up his towel either inside the shower enclosure itself or right outside. He can wear his clothes to the shower, get behind the curtain and take them off, and either hang in the hook in the shower/outside. There has to be a place to hang the towel so it doesn’t get wet. He can hang his clothes on it too. If it’s outside the enclosure, he can just pop his head out and grab his stuff to get dressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No advice except this is his hill to conquer. Every 14 year old boy has to figure it out. No one likes it. Some boys will wear their underwear in the shower so he can pack extra for that purpose.

This. He's just going to have to figure it out. Especially if he plans on playing sports in high school.

[Anonymous]

He can wear swim trunks in the shower.

[Anonymous]

My DD went to sleep away camp and they wore swimsuits in the showers and to and from their cabins. I know it’s not exactly the sane situation but most camps are good about kids not being naked ifo each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is probably a place to hang up his towel either inside the shower enclosure itself or right outside. He can wear his clothes to the shower, get behind the curtain and take them off, and either hang in the hook in the shower/outside. There has to be a place to hang the towel so it doesn’t get wet. He can hang his clothes on it too. If it’s outside the enclosure, he can just pop his head out and grab his stuff to get dressed.

+1

[Anonymous]

Do you think he is prone to getting bullied? Does he have any history of that?

My son was bullied in an isolated incident in the changing room at a summer camp here in Montgomery County. The boys were changing out of swim suits and back into their regular clothes and a kid started teasing my son and pulled his towel away, leaving him naked. And he couldn't get to his clothes. He was about 7 at the time. There were no camp counselors in there because they were all women/teen girls.

It was isolated but it left an impression and my son would be concerned as a teen in the same type of situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is probably a place to hang up his towel either inside the shower enclosure itself or right outside. He can wear his clothes to the shower, get behind the curtain and take them off, and either hang in the hook in the shower/outside. There has to be a place to hang the towel so it doesn’t get wet. He can hang his clothes on it too. If it’s outside the enclosure, he can just pop his head out and grab his stuff to get dressed.

Life hack: Terry bathrobe. Yes, people under 40 can wear them.

[Anonymous]

He can bring swim trunks and practice the “pull your shorts up with your towel wrapped around your waist” trick that girls learn pretty young. I think most teen boys who go out of their way to not look anyway

[Anonymous]

I would give him every possible accommodation except not going to camp. Offer to buy him any sort of towel, robe, swim shorts, whatever he wants. Say you’ll back him up if he wants to petition the camp for some special procedure. But he has to go to camp and figure it out.

[Anonymous]

If they’re curtained there’s probably a changing area as well, which would solve his issue.

I’d email the camp to find out exactly where the setup is and go from there. I doubt the kids are all changing in the larger bunk area, there’s probably some sort of privacy for them.

[Anonymous]

He will have to get over. This is part of camp life. Especially for boys.

[Anonymous]

As a sleepaway camp veteran and a mom who sends my kids to sleepaway camp, I suggest having him talk to the camp director - especially if it is a family-owned camp. they have likely dealt with this before and are generally good at addressing kids' concerns with various aspects of camp.

My camp had a giant room with group showers and it was three kids to a shower head - so it could be worse!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No advice except this is his hill to conquer. Every 14 year old boy has to figure it out. No one likes it. Some boys will wear their underwear in the shower so he can pack extra for that purpose.

This. He's just going to have to figure it out. Especially if he plans on playing sports in high school.

They don't shower after sports in high school.