Are sleepaway camps a good idea?

[Anonymous]

I've tried to get my kid going, but she's not interested/scared to be away for a week. Guess I'll try the second kid in a few years.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is interested, it's fantastic. If they are not (or if they are scared) it isn't: you don't build confidence by being miserable at a supposedly fun thing.

OP, lots of scout camps (and probably other camps) offer one-night overnights, which may be a good way to ease into it. You can also have your kids go with a friend, so they know someone. But I wouldn't force it if they don't want to go.

[Anonymous]

It's a formative experience. Especially these days, when kids don't have the kind of freedom and unstructured summers that we had as kids, it's important for kids to gain independence from their parents. Not to mention getting away from screens for a week.

We send our daughters to different camps. They prefer it because it gives them something special of their own, apart from their sibling.

[Anonymous]

Oh jeez louise - you don’t have to send your kids if you don’t want to and they will be fine. It’s not an exercise in optimizing the kids. My sister and I both loved it but for different reasons - she loved it for the friends and crafts and campfire songs. I loved it for the adventuring and independence. You can see those streaks in both of us today. It’s like 99% of kid activities, great if you have a kid that’s into it, painful for all of you don’t, not in some way going to in some way put them on a “better” life track in some way you’re clearly worried about

[Anonymous]

For those who have sent their kids, do your kids go with a friend or people they know? Or do you send them to a camp where they know no one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition (or as offshoot of) independence and resilience, but it also teaches them to get along with others outside of the family unit. Even when they are at school, parents still can have a lot of interactions. Kids can come home and complain or worry about something at home, talk to their parents and their parents can intervene.

Sleepaway camps give one extra step of distance away from parents and family and teaches them to adapt and cope with others with less of a parental umbrella. Parents are still available, but they are a distance away and harder to get in touch with for daily problem solving. Kids still have the counselors and CITs to go to, but these adults are focused on the children as a group and have less bias for individuals over other individuals. So, the kids have to learn to cope with others in group settings with less parental guidance. As I said, an offshoot of independence, but still important.

When our kids were 8, we started with a one-night sleepaway. Our county parks and recreation program had a day camp M-F. Thursday night was a sleepover. When they were 9, they joined some kids from our church (so a few friends that they knew) or a Bible camp that was 3 days, 2 nights. Last year, when they were 10, they went to the same Bible camp for 6 days, 5 nights. This year, they did the same camp again because they loved it.

For us, the gradual escalation helped our kids overcome the anxiety of being away and they adapted very well to the increasing duration.

+1. We have an only and encouraging and fostering independence is important to us. Putting him in different social settings and learning to adapt is important to us. Having him take care of himself and be responsible for his things are also a benefit.

We stared last year at 7 years old with 5 night sleep away. This summer at 8, he is leaving in August for 2 week sleep-away. Above are the reasons why we think sleep away camp is important. But there’s also just the fun part of it with being outdoors, games, rope course, sailing, swimming lake, overnight backpack trip, etc….

I never went to sleep away camp or any camp because my parents couldn’t afford it. But good friend did, and he said it is one of his happiest memories as a kid. He sent his 7 year old last year for the 1st time for 4 weeks.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't send shy kids to sleepaway camp with the hopes of that experience helping them open up and becoming more assertive. Shy kids are too often targets for molesters. Lots of stories about pre-teen and young teen campers being molested by older teen and young adult counselors. These camps are safer for kids who are outgoing and not afraid to speak up.

Flame away....

[Anonymous]

My parents never sent me and I am plenty independent and resilient.

That being said, I do plan to send my DCs when they are old enough, just to avoid the Virginia summers. Somewhere nice like the Rockies. Maybe DH and I will finagle remote summers and rent a house there too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a formative experience. Especially these days, when kids don't have the kind of freedom and unstructured summers that we had as kids, it's important for kids to gain independence from their parents. Not to mention getting away from screens for a week.

We send our daughters to different camps. They prefer it because it gives them something special of their own, apart from their sibling.

Agree. Unstructured freedom and independence and no screens are a great combo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know some people who have begun sending 9-12 year olds to sleepaway camps. Are they a good idea? If you went, what were the benefits? I hate my kids to be away from me for an extended period of time, so I want to know if it’s any very concrete benefit you found.

Based on the way you worded the question, yes, there would be a concrete benefit for your children to be away from you for a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know some people who have begun sending 9-12 year olds to sleepaway camps. Are they a good idea? If you went, what were the benefits? I hate my kids to be away from me for an extended period of time, so I want to know if it’s any very concrete benefit you found.

Based on the way you worded the question, yes, there would be a concrete benefit for your children to be away from you for a week.

Haha couldn’t agree more - that was my first thought in reading the OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't send shy kids to sleepaway camp with the hopes of that experience helping them open up and becoming more assertive. Shy kids are too often targets for molesters. Lots of stories about pre-teen and young teen campers being molested by older teen and young adult counselors. These camps are safer for kids who are outgoing and not afraid to speak up.

Flame away....

Nothing to flame. You touched on a legitimate concern. One has to talk to kids about this and make sure DCs would be able to speak up if something is wrong before sending them on a sleep away camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those who have sent their kids, do your kids go with a friend or people they know? Or do you send them to a camp where they know no one?

Sent ours with no friends. It forces him to go out of his comfort zone to make new friends.

Once you find the right camp that your kid likes and wants to go to every year, then that will be your kids new friend group at camp who come from lots of different places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All kid dependent. Compliant kids probably enjoy

??

[Anonymous]

Are helicoptering parents the same people who send their children to sleep away camp?