My son did a one week camp the summer before 5th grade and two weeks the summer before 6th grade. He loved the activities but didn’t like cabin dynamics. He always ended up with one kid who ruined it for everyone. Two weeks was too long for him to be away from home. He cried when we dropped him off in anticipation of being away that long. He didn’t go again.

His sister (rising 5th grader) went to a different camp this year for a week and loved everything about it. She can’t wait to go back for 2 weeks next year. Her camp allowed phone calls so we heard from her on two different days.

The funny thing is my daughter is quiet and introverted. My son is the extrovert and didn’t like being away from home.

Every kid is different.

My DD went for a three week sleep away and bonus, her bully wound up at the same camp. Since there was no real time communication, I only found out two weeks in when I received a letter. DD handled it well, but was humiliated and isolated because of this bully the bulk of the time. Not a chance I could ever get her to trust me enough to do a camp again, and I blame me too.

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t ready till middle school. We could do the day or overnight so we got a hotel so they could just do day.

You got yourself a hotel room so your child could attend one day of day camp?? Wtf?!

Oh yeah, the other gross thing about sleep away camp is they have no way of contacting you, other than through staff, if something sketchy is happening. Obviously if they were SAed by a staff person they will be scared to approach another staff person

Anonymous wrote:I sent my kid to an overnight sports camp, and the director of the camp is now in jail for sexual assault of campers. As far as I know, nothing happened to my kid, but five kids are listed in the criminal case against the man who is now in jail. I am never sending any of my kids to overnight camp again, and I also don't let them do sleepovers.

I hate to agree with you, but I used to work at a residential facility for low IQ people and one of the male staff who worked with the non-verbal kids was picked up in an internet sting speaking to a police officer who was impersonating an underage girl. There is no way of knowing how many of those kids he abused, if any.

Be a parent. Your child doesn’t need camp for life skills and independence.

My 5th grader had adhd and anxiety and sometimes difficulty in new environments. He likes the idea of camp but is not emotionally mature enough. He struggles to take care of basic things without reminders (ie clear your dishes, brush your teeth, remember your water bottle) and for better or worse i think the lack of scaffolding at camp would be too difficult. Im hoping maybe middle or high school will have camp opportunities.

when she was younger bedwetting

My kids just never wanted to go. They didn’t like sleepovers either except when they were at our house. They grew up to be independent and just fine. Youngest is off to college shortly having only ever gone away for outdoor Ed in MS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t give my kids a choice. I simply signed them up and sent them when they were entering 3rd grade

This is their 4th summer. Do they loooove it? No. But they do enjoy it and they really like the zero phone policy. 4 weeks and no technology. They enjoy the break from the drama.

Why do you let a 7th grader have a phone?

+1

Even if you don't let your middle schooler have a phone, you can't control what the other parents allow. Everywhere kids this age go the kids are on their phones, or viewing media and social media, and yes the posting and discussing it, etc. causes drama and becomes a focus (again, even if you don't allow it, it's all around). My DD looooves sleepaway camp. She #lives10for2! She absolutely loves that phones or anything that connects to the internet is completely forbidden. She loves that her camps is all girls as well, and it's wonderful to have another separate basket of friends (especially for girls MS age). She spends the summer active, playing sports in a non-competitive setting, and on the lake. And being silly and carefree. Building friendships. Going on wilderness trips. And she is completely off screens and the internet AND SO IS EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HER. There are lots of ways to build independence, be active, and make friends. But that last piece of a truly screenfree environment is very hard to achieve these days -- I love that about sleepaway camp.

(But I fully recognize that she is well-suited for it because she is out going, naturally independent already, and not rigid.)

This! My DD loves that there’s no focus on phones or iPads or video games at camp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t give my kids a choice. I simply signed them up and sent them when they were entering 3rd grade

This is their 4th summer. Do they loooove it? No. But they do enjoy it and they really like the zero phone policy. 4 weeks and no technology. They enjoy the break from the drama.

Why do you let a 7th grader have a phone?

+1

Even if you don't let your middle schooler have a phone, you can't control what the other parents allow. Everywhere kids this age go the kids are on their phones, or viewing media and social media, and yes the posting and discussing it, etc. causes drama and becomes a focus (again, even if you don't allow it, it's all around). My DD looooves sleepaway camp. She #lives10for2! She absolutely loves that phones or anything that connects to the internet is completely forbidden. She loves that her camps is all girls as well, and it's wonderful to have another separate basket of friends (especially for girls MS age). She spends the summer active, playing sports in a non-competitive setting, and on the lake. And being silly and carefree. Building friendships. Going on wilderness trips. And she is completely off screens and the internet AND SO IS EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HER. There are lots of ways to build independence, be active, and make friends. But that last piece of a truly screenfree environment is very hard to achieve these days -- I love that about sleepaway camp.

(But I fully recognize that she is well-suited for it because she is out going, naturally independent already, and not rigid.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t give my kids a choice. I simply signed them up and sent them when they were entering 3rd grade

This is their 4th summer. Do they loooove it? No. But they do enjoy it and they really like the zero phone policy. 4 weeks and no technology. They enjoy the break from the drama.

Why do you let a 7th grader have a phone?

+1

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t give my kids a choice. I simply signed them up and sent them when they were entering 3rd grade

This is their 4th summer. Do they loooove it? No. But they do enjoy it and they really like the zero phone policy. 4 weeks and no technology. They enjoy the break from the drama.

Why do you let a 7th grader have a phone?

My older kid had a not great 1 week sleepaway camp experience last year and wasn't keen to go again. It's expensive, and kids are only kids for a short period of time, so I'm just as happy to have them at day camp.

DS tried it one summer, didn't like it for no specific reason and didn't go again. But he did go on a 1-week service trip with our church in middle school and some overnight band trips in HS.

Sleepaway camp is great if they enjoy it (my other kid loved it and continued to go) but not something I'd push if they aren't interested. They can build independence over time in other ways.