I went to sleepaway camp a couple times when I was a kid, but never as young as I see these days. And only a week or two at a time.

I would send my kids if they were really interested. And older.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on Long Island, NY. Tons of kids went to sleep-away camp, all the others went to day camp. I literally did not know of ANY kid who didn't go to camp until the summer before 8th grade. Nobody asked, "Are you going to camp?" but "Which camp do you go to?"

Also everyone went for eight weeks. The idea of one week here and two weeks there is completely foreign to me. My kids go for 8 weeks. I can't understand all these people constantly going to the beach and on all these various trips. We have to work.

Have you found a true 8 week camp experience? Most of the sleep away camps I've looked into offer a 4 week and a 3 week session but not a 7 or 8 week experience.

My niece is going for 8 weeks. My brothers and I did too when we were kids, starting at about 8. Now I have a 7 and 9 year old and can't quite bring myself to do it, though I really loved it as a kid. Don't think we could afford it anyway.

Do u know the name of the camp your niece is attending?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never done it and I never will. That's not how I parent.

? My kid loves it and insists every summer. I'd be remiss as a parent if I didn't let him/her do it.

Perhaps you're talking about really young kids, like up to 8 or 9 years old?

No I mean all kids. Not just little ones.
How does your kid insist? Who is the parent?

Look you either get summer camp or you don't. Like the WOHM vs SAHM debate, neither side is "right". For my kid, if I took away summer camp, I might as well take away air. That's how they "insist". They talk about it all year as if it is Mecca. They count the days until camp starts again starting the day they come home. They make friends their outside of school. They learn independence, social skills, the ability to deal with uncomfortable situations. And they do it on their own without mom and dad. They make their own decisions and are accountable for their actions and consequences. And it's all done while the kids are having fun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never done it and I never will. That's not how I parent.

? My kid loves it and insists every summer. I'd be remiss as a parent if I didn't let him/her do it.

Perhaps you're talking about really young kids, like up to 8 or 9 years old?

No I mean all kids. Not just little ones.
How does your kid insist? Who is the parent?

Anonymous wrote:I have never done it and I never will. That's not how I parent.

? My kid loves it and insists every summer. I'd be remiss as a parent if I didn't let him/her do it.

Perhaps you're talking about really young kids, like up to 8 or 9 years old?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on Long Island, NY. Tons of kids went to sleep-away camp, all the others went to day camp. I literally did not know of ANY kid who didn't go to camp until the summer before 8th grade. Nobody asked, "Are you going to camp?" but "Which camp do you go to?"

Also everyone went for eight weeks. The idea of one week here and two weeks there is completely foreign to me. My kids go for 8 weeks. I can't understand all these people constantly going to the beach and on all these various trips. We have to work.

Have you found a true 8 week camp experience? Most of the sleep away camps I've looked into offer a 4 week and a 3 week session but not a 7 or 8 week experience.

My niece is going for 8 weeks. My brothers and I did too when we were kids, starting at about 8. Now I have a 7 and 9 year old and can't quite bring myself to do it, though I really loved it as a kid. Don't think we could afford it anyway.

Anonymous wrote:I never went and didn't know anyone who did (grew up in DC suburbs), but ALL my friends in NYC are sending their kids at 8 and 9 - FB full if the bus pictures today... I don't think I'll do it, but only bc I don't have the experience, so it feels weird to me...

How many weeks are they going for at. 8-9?

I loved sleep away camp as a kid. Now as a parent of a 2.5 year old I can't imagine sending him away... But I'm sure I will get there when he is 7-8.

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on Long Island, NY. Tons of kids went to sleep-away camp, all the others went to day camp. I literally did not know of ANY kid who didn't go to camp until the summer before 8th grade. Nobody asked, "Are you going to camp?" but "Which camp do you go to?"

Also everyone went for eight weeks. The idea of one week here and two weeks there is completely foreign to me. My kids go for 8 weeks. I can't understand all these people constantly going to the beach and on all these various trips. We have to work.

Have you found a true 8 week camp experience? Most of the sleep away camps I've looked into offer a 4 week and a 3 week session but not a 7 or 8 week experience.

Grew up on Long Island, NY. Tons of kids went to sleep-away camp, all the others went to day camp. I literally did not know of ANY kid who didn't go to camp until the summer before 8th grade. Nobody asked, "Are you going to camp?" but "Which camp do you go to?"

Also everyone went for eight weeks. The idea of one week here and two weeks there is completely foreign to me. My kids go for 8 weeks. I can't understand all these people constantly going to the beach and on all these various trips. We have to work.

my daughter will likely go at some point - probably to girl scout camp like I did at first. my husband is not a huge fan of camps, though - he feels like he doesn't know the people and bad things can happen (it doesn't help that he is an FBI contractor and several of the agents won't even let their kids sleep over at other people's houses-yes, seriously!). I'm going to break him of that shit - I started going away for 3 weeks at a time at 10 years old!

My son looks forward to camp all year. I went to camp in VA for a few summers and loved it! I wanted him to have the same experience. This year, he is going for nearly 2 weeks and he is excited. It's expensive but I save all year for it.

What I understand from some older New Yorkers is that people who were children in the 1950s we're sent out of the city because their parents feared polio epidemics in the summer. That got the tradition started in some families,,even if the motives are quite different now.

There's a handful of girls from DC that my daughters know who go to either Camp Mont Shenandoah or Camp Strawderman for at least a two week session. My girls go to Strawderman and both started the summer after 3rd grade. It's now their 3rd and 6th summers to go. They too beg to stay all summer, and they regale us with stories and songs from camp all year. My parents could never afford to send me to camp so I am glad to be able to send my girls there every year. I think sleep away camp can do some amazing things for kids and I think it's something everyone should try to have their kids do at least once. And be prepared for the letters home the first few days saying how awful it is and to please come bring them home. The mood changes by the 2nd letter to one of "can you sign me up for the rest if the summer?!" I love the experiences they get from camp.

Sleep away camp was the best part of my entire childhood. Some years a went for eight weeks! I was from NY. The difference I see here and now is that a lot of the camps have 1 or 2 week sessions. While I'd have a hard time saying good-bye to my sons for several weeks the problem with one week away is that right when you 're finally used to the place and enjoying yourself it's time to leave!