Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it ironic that most people don't even let their 7 and 8yr olds outside to bike/play on their own (without mom up their ass) but yet ship them off for a week or more to sleep away camp.

I think if parents just loosened up and let their kids go off on some of their own adventures with friends, there wouldn't be a need to get away from their kids for some "relief."

You are comparing apples to oranges though. Camp is supervised and letting your kids run the neighborhood isn't.

The first poster has a point. I trust my neighbors that I see every day to watch my kid for 2 hours, not some random people who I've never met before to watch my kid day and night for weeks.

Anonymous wrote:I have a 7 year old and am hearing a lot of buzz from peer parents about sending their children to sleep away camp next year when they are 8. I realize that not anywhere close to every kid does sleep away camp and that 8 is probably young, but I've heard it enough times now that I am a bit self conscious that I can't envision sending my child to do it for a very long time! He is a friendly kid who does not have trouble making friends, but he is definitely an introvert and close to his dad and I, and I know that he wouldn't be ready or want to do it this or next summer. He tends to get overwhelmed when with a friend for a whole day, and he needs alone and quiet time a lot (i.e. he is an introvert). He hasn't even wanted to go for sleepovers yet, and I see no reason to push this, as his social life is plenty full.

Is our experience abnormal? Or are the early sleep away camp people just very vocal?

7 and 8 are just way too young for sleep away camps. The only ones that I know that do this are Jewish people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it ironic that most people don't even let their 7 and 8yr olds outside to bike/play on their own (without mom up their ass) but yet ship them off for a week or more to sleep away camp.

I think if parents just loosened up and let their kids go off on some of their own adventures with friends, there wouldn't be a need to get away from their kids for some "relief."

You are comparing apples to oranges though. Camp is supervised and letting your kids run the neighborhood isn't.

I was a camp counselor and can assure you, your kids are left unsupervised more than you think, even the young ones. The counselors are there to finish up the day as quick as possible so they can party and get laid.

I thought maybe things had changed and my daughter's friends were going to one so we said okay. They went to Camp Hidden Meadows when she was 11yrs old and the counselors were total bitches to the entire cabin. They acted so friendly arrival day and then after, could not be bothered. The last 3 days the cabin was quarantined because a Russian girl's head was full of lice (nice lice check nurse!) so they spent an entire night 9pm-3am stripping the entire cabin, taking 2 showers, and remaking the beds. Then were nixed from any pool or swimming and had to eat alone. Could not go to any group activities. We paid for a week. DD got about 3 full days. No refund or apology offered. DD was never so happy to see us in her life Oh and her and some friends found used condoms on the woods during a hike too. I guess the counselors still do have a good time.

We have done a few 2-3 day Girl Scout camps and now my daughter is old enough and volunteers at day Girl Scout camps too. We love camping, the great outdoors, etc... but the sleep away camps for the most part are just gross.

My almost 9-year old is going for the second summer, one week last summer and two weeks this summer. He's going because he loves it. Neither DH nor I ever went to sleep away camp (grew up in the Midwest). His buddy from school wanted to do it last year so they both went. This year they have 3 additional friends going.

I work FT so my kids are in camp most of the summer anyway (except for a week at the grandparents and a week of family vacation), so I just sign DS up for the sleep away camp for 2 weeks instead of a day camp.

Younger DS is a completely different kid, and I don't expect that he will ever want to go, which is just fine. And I'm not sending my kid away for "relief." Last year I definitely felt his absence, and it was kind of a long week for me and DH (and younger DS). We actually used that time to do some special things with just younger DS, which he really enjoyed.

Anonymous wrote:This is a northeastern US tradition that grew out of the practice of sending kids out of the sweltering cities in the summer to enable them to get some "fresh air" and to protect them from polio epidemics. This set up a tradition of summer camp in some families. This American Life had a good show about camp a few years back.

On the West Coast, it's much less prevalent, especially since most people live within 2 hours of a beach, and the cities aren't hideously humid on the summer.

I grew up on the west coast and don't think I knew anyone who went to sleepaway camp. I never asked if I could since I didn't even like daycamp the one time I tried it (mom was a SAHM).

DS tried it the summer before 5th grade with his three best friends. I hadn't even thought about it but it was brought up by one of his friend's parents who had been a camper when she was a kid. DS didn't like it and we didn't push him to go again. But after six grade we insisted he go on our church's 1 week youth mission trip and he really enjoyed that and will continue to go.

DD tried a different camp last summer before she started 5th grade and absolutely loved it. Last year was 1 week, this year she'll go 2 weeks, which is the maximum offered at this camp. Her best friends also go with her. She's already talking about being on staff there when she is older.

My sister and I went as kids. She kept going and became a counselor. I dropped it after a few summers to do other things. It was GS camp and not that expensive - we were not rich.

I think my son would love camp but hasn't asked about it and is only 7 so no rush there. My daughter is 9 and has HFA. I would hesitate to send her due to the mean girl behavior I saw myself at camp. She has a hard time socially and is always the kid who gets teased.

I think camp can foster independence and self-reliance but it's not the only way to do that. My brother did not want to go to camp and his first six weeks away from home were for freshman year of college. He has since travelled the world and currently lives abroad. So there's that.

As others have noted, it's a great opportunity for kids to spread their wings and gain some confidence and independence. The first time, my ds went for one week at 9. He was homesick at first, but by the end of the week, he didn't want to leave.

I think different kids are ready to go at different ages, but my observation is that the kids are often ready earlier than the parents. I've seen many a nervous-wreck mom drop off a perfectly fine kid. It's not the kid that's "not ready" in many cases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sleep-away camp is for rich people. The vast majority of families can not ever afford to send their kids to a sleep-away camp without receiving some sort of donation or charity.

+1. I didn't know anyone growing up who had ever gone to sleepaway camp.

I think this may be true in the NE. I grew up very middle class (real middle class, not dcum "middle class") in the South, and everyone I knew went to summer camp.

This is a northeastern US tradition that grew out of the practice of sending kids out of the sweltering cities in the summer to enable them to get some "fresh air" and to protect them from polio epidemics. This set up a tradition of summer camp in some families. This American Life had a good show about camp a few years back.

On the West Coast, it's much less prevalent, especially since most people live within 2 hours of a beach, and the cities aren't hideously humid on the summer.

Anonymous wrote:Sleep-away camp is for rich people. The vast majority of families can not ever afford to send their kids to a sleep-away camp without receiving some sort of donation or charity.

This.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not at all. It's totally FINE. Maybe when he's around 13 he'll want to do a teen tour thing, where you leave Monday and come back Friday. But if he doesn't that's ok.

My DD went at 10,11,12,13&14 then she was done.
She'd probably go on one of those teen trips but wow they are crazy pricey.

It's really fun for them though and they come home very happy. It's like they missed you and they are so pleasant for a few weeks.

Sounds like you wanted to get rid of your kid because you can't handle her

Duh - why else would you send them ?

You sound like a neurotic imbecile. Just FYI

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those you send kids to camp: Is it for child care because you work? I didn't raise my kids in DC and am shocked by the amount of money that people spend on camps!

No. I stay at home. We're sending our child because she wants to go and we think it's a valuable experience: time outdoors, exposure to new people from many different places, new activities, confidence building.

They get great confidence building because they are there managing themselves - no mom or dad.
DD went to Girl Scout camp and you aren't even allowed to call home - no electronics no calls.
They are responsible for themselves and they all do chores. And they have fun.
The independence is empowering and exhilarating for them.
GS camp is affordable as well

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not at all. It's totally FINE. Maybe when he's around 13 he'll want to do a teen tour thing, where you leave Monday and come back Friday. But if he doesn't that's ok.

My DD went at 10,11,12,13&14 then she was done.
She'd probably go on one of those teen trips but wow they are crazy pricey.

It's really fun for them though and they come home very happy. It's like they missed you and they are so pleasant for a few weeks.

Sounds like you wanted to get rid of your kid because you can't handle her

Anonymous wrote:No, not at all. It's totally FINE. Maybe when he's around 13 he'll want to do a teen tour thing, where you leave Monday and come back Friday. But if he doesn't that's ok.

My DD went at 10,11,12,13&14 then she was done.
She'd probably go on one of those teen trips but wow they are crazy pricey.

It's really fun for them though and they come home very happy. It's like they missed you and they are so pleasant for a few weeks.

Anonymous wrote:I find it ironic that most people don't even let their 7 and 8yr olds outside to bike/play on their own (without mom up their ass) but yet ship them off for a week or more to sleep away camp.

I think if parents just loosened up and let their kids go off on some of their own adventures with friends, there wouldn't be a need to get away from their kids for some "relief."

You are comparing apples to oranges though. Camp is supervised and letting your kids run the neighborhood isn't.