When the Kid Doesn't Like Camp

[Anonymous]

My son is 6, and a rising 1st grader. He is enrolled in the full-day summer camp program through his elementary school. It's only been a few days, but so far it's not going well. My son is a quiet, introverted kid who does really well in a structured classroom setting - but even a good camp has less structure and more chaos than school. He comes home complaining that he has a headache, and a sore throat from "screaming all day so people will hear me."

I kind of saw this coming, but he goes to this same program for aftercare during the school year and usually does okay. So I was hoping it would work. But the camp programs have many more kids, and as a 1st grader, my son is among the youngest ones there.

Anyway, since it has only been a few days, I'm not panicking and pulling him out tomorrow, of course. And a big part of me also thinks it might be good to leave him there regardless (unless he gets bullied or is truly totally miserable, or something) because in life it is generally a good thing to be able to adapt outside your comfort zone, and maybe he'll learn from it. Yet it makes sense to consider other options, too. I'm just not sure what those would be. There is no Camp Grandma in our family, and a babysitter is out because I have a 4yo in full-time daycare who is thriving and I don't want to pull him out.

Anyone else have this experience, and/or thoughts, advice, etc.?

[Anonymous]

What exactly does your son not like about camp when asked? What things have he done during the last couple of days at the camp? Anything exciting?

[Anonymous]

I feel like we need more info - does he have his friends from elementary school there, but it is just too loud and noisy because there are many more kids? Or is it an issue of him also having trouble connecting with the other kids there?

[Anonymous]

Which program is it ?

[Anonymous]

agree- leave him unless he is bullied or it is truly a bad place, and next year try to find something better. Adapting outside your comfort zone is good

[Anonymous]

Good questions!

He's got some friends from elementary school there - several of the kids who were also in the after school program during the school year are in it now, too, so it's not a room full of strangers. But his best friends from his K class all seem to have SAHMs, so they're not around. I'm sure that doesn't help.

The only thing he's told me he truly enjoys so far are the crafts and Lego time. And the movie they watched this afternoon because of the rain, of course! He doesn't like the sports activities much at all, and he's ambivalent about the swimming. (He loves his swimming lessons that he goes to on the weekend, but he isn't very confident in the water outside of the lessons - he's kind of an anxious little guy by nature.) Unfortunately, though, that's pretty basic camp stuff...

[Anonymous]

My mother always laughs when ,y sister and I talk about camp.

She said every year we cried when she dropped us off, and we cried when she picked us up at the end. (This was sleep away camp).

Give it time, OP. he'll find a way.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. Not every kid comes around on camp. I hated it on day one and I hated it on day ten and I hated it at the end. Sleepaway camp, day camp, you name it. Ugh.

Still, it was also kind of just part of childhood I had to suck up and life went on and I managed to survive to adulthood despite camp

[Anonymous]

There are a million camps in this area. Find one without sports and swimming. I wouldn't force my kid to go to a camp all summer that he/she didn't like.

[Anonymous]

I started my son in camp at age 4. He hated it, but I thought he'd get used to it. He's now 7 1/2 and still hates it. We're not making him go anymore. He is an only child, extroverted, friendly and has many friends in school. Oh well. More time together this summer. Woohoo, I think????

[Anonymous]

I can see finding a camp without much of a sports focus, but I think the swimming thing is important to keep working on. I know you say he takes lessons, but doesn't feel comfortable in the water outside of the lessons. The camp swimming may help with that.
The PPs are right that there are many, many types of camps in this area. My husband signed my son up for a "pre-engineering camp." It would not have been my son's first choice, but he's actually having a pretty good time. Last summer he did a drama camp. There are definitely camps your child would like better. I am sure there are art camps, you say he likes the crafts. But I am not sure that you can find space for this summer. If you can't, he may have to tough it out with the promise that something better will be arranged for next year.

[Anonymous]

No offense, but the camp seems quite boring. Arts and crafts, legos? You can do that at home... I would hate to go too. Which camp is this? My rising 1st grader loves camp and my child is VERY, VERY shy and not willing to try new things. However, the camp does some pretty exciting things that my child just can not resist having fun and wakes up demanding to leave for camp every morning. Maybe try another camp?

[Anonymous]

Many general day camps are in essence day care. Its souless and unless you need him to be somewhere besides home i would pull him out. Find camps more suited to his interests.

[Anonymous]

If the daycare issue could be solved, I'd pull him out. "Camp" should be fun, or at least interesting, and certainly not miserable. Sounds like the program may have too many kids. There are no life benefits in forcing 6-year-olds to attend programs they hate, as hard as it is for parents to forfeit the money and the child care arrangement. I once let my 8-year-old stop going after the second day to a weeklong soccer camp he hated and it did not set a precedent of quitting programs midway (he's college-age now). Instead, he was grateful that his parents respected his feelings.

[Anonymous]

Last summer we had our DD (age 6) in all day camp at a school for 5 weeks. She didn't like it much. She was bored and it was loud & the counselors didn't have good control and there were a lot of fun things promised that didn't come through. (like having the local fire station send a truck over to spray water for the kids)

This summer, we are mixing it up more - doing week-long or 2-week camps that are more tailored to her interests.