How to get daughter interested in sleepaway camp?

[Anonymous]

Hi - Please do not flame me, but I think my daughter (who will be 9 this summer) would really enjoy sleepaway camp. She is outgoing and loves to participate in activities. However, when I broach the subject, she doesn't want anything to do with it. I told her she at least has to come visit one with me. Has anyone gotten their child to warm up to the idea??

[Anonymous]

I was a camp counselor--one of my groups was 8, the other was 12. The differences in maturity between them was huge. Yet even in the 12-year-olds, we had some pretty big cases of homesickness. (The girl who comes to mind in particular was also very outgoing, but she was not a happy camper.)

Personally, I wouldn't push it on a 9-year-old. Wait a few years and try again.

[Anonymous]

My daughter (10) has gone to sleep away camp for three summers and *loves* it. She wanted to go - there was never any pushing or convincing on my part. Since then, I've seen her convince other friends that camp is the coolest thing ever. I think at this age, girls listen to other girls. Maybe you could ask your daughter if any of her friends have gone to camp, and encourage them to chat about it?

[Anonymous]

Check to see if the camp(s) you are interested in offer a Mother-Daughter weekend. It's a great way to introduce her to the environment and for you to preview the camp for yourself ... so you'll know the daily schedules and lay of the land for when she's there.

Last year, Skyland Camp for Girls (near Asheville, NC) hosted one and four moms brought 7 girls from the DC area to visit (and joined 14 others from across the country) for the fun-filled weekend.

The weekend was dedicated to living the life of a camper and all activities were open and all participants moved through activities like campers do. Moms and daughters were together for some and separated for others. The moms (and grand moms!) had a blast!!! The girls learned the lay of the land and met other prospective campers. All rode horses, played court games, learned performance moves in musical theater, shot archery, swam in the heated pool, did a cool crafts project and a yummy culinary arts project and slept in screened-in porches. It was SUCH a great time!

It was really fun to see, at the end of the weekend, the enthusiasm from the campers who weren't initially enthused about attending, as well as the moms who didn't want to send their daughter to camp. All seemed excited to make plans for overnight camp the next summer!!

Visiting AS a camper is really the best way to "try it out." Your daughter will love it! Find the camp that's right for you and have a ball.

[Anonymous]

a place like Calleva has day camps and overnight camps. It might help if she goes to a consistent place that she gets to know b/f going overnight, second if she had a friend going with her. I wouldn't push it. If she goes and hates it, you'll never get her to go back.

[Anonymous]

Nope OP, you don't get a "flame" pass on this one. Go re-read your post. YOU think she'd enjoy it, but "she doesn't want anything to do with it." Sounds like you're going to have a swell time in the teen years.

Let it go. She'll probably surprise you in a few years after hearing about a friend who went to camp and beg you to send her.

[Anonymous]

I think you are being disrespectful of your daughter and her perfectly valid feelings by insisting that she visit camps with you. Nine is really young. Wait until next year and raise it then.