My kid always brings piggy bank money to the pool if she wants an ice cream. I didn't ask her to do that- she decided to do it on her own. I think it makes her feel more grown up to use her own money. If your son is fine using his own money, then let him. Maybe he doesn't want to feel like he has to run to mom every time he wants something. It's not just about fiscal responsibility, it's giving him a little independence.

I'd pay for the ice. It's summer and cool treats are part of the fun.

Is this the camp or some enterprising ice cream truck-type business who comes at the end of the camp day, knowing there will be customers? If the camp is selling the ice, that’s incredibly shitty.

Anonymous wrote:OMG I was so smug about this being a bad camp and now I found out I'm enrolled in a camp that wants me to send cash with my elementary kid for snow cones.

I'm just going to do it, but I think it's such a bad policy. I think it sucks that some of the camp kids might not get a snow cone because their parents didn't give them cash. They need to just make the camp cost $5 more and cover snow cones, or just not do them. Or just do popsicles, which cost less. It seems very dumb to me.

This is the right answer here. Give all kids a chilly treat and account for it in the camp budget. Don't make them bring money.

Whenever camps offer a special lunch, like pizza, or a special treat, like ice cream, AND it costs extra money... I let my kids pick one day for it and I buy it. Usually we make that the Friday treat. If they want it more frequently, I would let them use piggy bank money.

For a hot week, I pack extra stuff- like a mini gatorade frozen so it would melt later in the day but still be a bit icy- and have popsicles and such at home.

OMG I was so smug about this being a bad camp and now I found out I'm enrolled in a camp that wants me to send cash with my elementary kid for snow cones.

I'm just going to do it, but I think it's such a bad policy. I think it sucks that some of the camp kids might not get a snow cone because their parents didn't give them cash. They need to just make the camp cost $5 more and cover snow cones, or just not do them. Or just do popsicles, which cost less. It seems very dumb to me.

I would pay for it every day in the summer if it's an outdoor sports camp.

If it's a mostly indoor camp, I wouldn't even let him use his money expect for 1x per week.

I would count it as my kid’s after camp snack from a nutrition perspective, but given the heat & assuming he’s in the camp for only one week, I’d pay for it. If he’s going to this camp every week/for more than two weeks, I’d reach an X ices a week agreement.

I think this is a hard question to crowdsource though, because it mostly depends on how much spending money you give your kid/your general approach to such spending money. We don’t give our kid an allowance, but do typically pay for treats like this. If we made him pay, it would be real present money, which seems extreme for shave ice in 100 degrees. On the other hand, if I gave my kid $10/week, it would cover all snacks absent some particular exception.

Anonymous wrote: I am fine with the decision but I want to ask should parents pay cash for this situation since it is extremely hot week. When should kids use their piggy bank money to buy things they want?

It's a good fiscal learning experience.

Let him use up his money, then DO NOT buy him anymore, even at home, until he replenishes his piggy bank.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's SHAVE ice.

Shave ice is a brand name of shaved ice. OP didn't specify the brand.

NP, Shave ice is not a brand, that's just what they call it in Hawaii, where it's very popular.

It's at the end of outdoor camp, so no kid is forced to watch others eating ice they themselves can't have.

I wouldn't pay for daily shave ice or encourage my kids to pay for it themselves. It's a waste of money. Maybe just on the hottest day of every week: designate a day in advance, get the kid to look at the weather, avoid days where there's a risk of storms, because then the ice cart might not arrive that day. It teaches delayed gratification, planning ahead, basic meteorology, all kinds of benefits.

But not mindless "let's spend money to buy treats" philosophy.

OP, you really don't need to crowdsource everything. I'd be so curious to see how many times you post random questions like this every week. Your writing style is very distinctive.

This thread is first world problems

If you can afford this camp you can afford shaved ice. DH is an idiot

Yes the kids should learn finances this is not the way

You ans your husband are cheap.

Is it at the end of the day around pick-up time? So your child is headed home and have a popsicle or something there? Or is it After their camp outdoor time and then they’re at camp for a few more hours? If it’s right at pickup time, I’d let them have something at home (that they’ve selected at the store) or pay themselves. If it’s during the day, I’d be annoyed with the camp and pay for it.