Anonymous wrote:You send your kids to camp so you don't have to take care of them. Period

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point of sleep away for us was to prepare our child for college. I never went anywhere before college and the transition was impossible. I didn't want my kid to have to face a strange new environment and not have the skills to manage. Sent her to gymnastics camp for two weeks with a team at age 8 until 11. Sent her to China for a month at 13. She's also done years of CTY which was as close to college as you can get. She is now far away at college and loving it. She has her own apartment and just interviewed for a summer internship.

So you think the only kids that can transition into college at 18 need to be shipped off to camp at 8yrs old like yours?

Newsflash: Most kids have never been anywhere on their own before college. THAT is what makes college so fun and life changing. Sorry it was "impossible" for you but a few weeks of rich kids camp doesn't prep kids for college. All it does is keep them away from their parents with structured activities scheduled by barking counselors that can't wait to make it thru each day so they can party and bang each other after hours. It doesn't teach them to balance a budget, cook food, shop, organize, clean, balance social/studies, etc... But great attempt at rationalizing the need for camp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kid to three weeks despite lukewarm interest because friends were doing it and it was a disaster. We messed that one up as parents and now he has sleep issues that we are working thriugh. Do what's best for you.

We sent ours for only week and she was gifted with lice halfway thru the week (as were most other cabin mates) and her whole cabin was forced to clean/wash/scrub/remake everything all night one night. Screamed at by the inconvenienced counselors who were also tired. Their reward? They were not allowed to go on any excursions, group activities or pool/lake for the rest of the week. They had to eat on their own too. I was never told this until the final night a nurse called to tell us to clean everyone when she arrives home tomorrow. We received no apology or partial reimbursement for her basically sitting in a cabin for 3 nights, 4 days. Needless to say, it was our first and last week of sleep away camp. My kids like being with us and we like being with them. We don't see the need to spend that money.

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kid to three weeks despite lukewarm interest because friends were doing it and it was a disaster. We messed that one up as parents and now he has sleep issues that we are working thriugh. Do what's best for you.

Anonymous wrote:The point of sleep away for us was to prepare our child for college. I never went anywhere before college and the transition was impossible. I didn't want my kid to have to face a strange new environment and not have the skills to manage. Sent her to gymnastics camp for two weeks with a team at age 8 until 11. Sent her to China for a month at 13. She's also done years of CTY which was as close to college as you can get. She is now far away at college and loving it. She has her own apartment and just interviewed for a summer internship.

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kid to three weeks despite lukewarm interest because friends were doing it and it was a disaster. We messed that one up as parents and now he has sleep issues that we are working thriugh. Do what's best for you.

Anonymous wrote:My kids go 2 weeks, for $750 which is close to the same as regular camp plus groceries for 2 weeks. In HS they do 4 week, 2 weeks camp, 2 weeks volunteering.

It is an amazing experience.

I think it would hard to adjust to college if that was the 1st time you spent time away from your family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point of sleep away for us was to prepare our child for college. I never went anywhere before college and the transition was impossible. I didn't want my kid to have to face a strange new environment and not have the skills to manage. Sent her to gymnastics camp for two weeks with a team at age 8 until 11. Sent her to China for a month at 13. She's also done years of CTY which was as close to college as you can get. She is now far away at college and loving it. She has her own apartment and just interviewed for a summer internship.

Like anything else, the importance of this is entirely in the eye of the beholder. PP thought it was very important, others will, others won't. It wasn't particularly popular in my area and my parents certainly couldn't afford it most of my childhood, but everyone in my circle adjusted just fine to school and spent our summers scooping ice cream, playing travel sports or lifeguarding.