Another school year's come and gone. Another hot, sunny summer is upon us. For kids, that's pure paradise.
Summer means tons of free time to hang out with friends. It means trips to the beach with the family, playing baseball with dad in the backyard, or helping mom out in the garden. Of course, for some kids it means packing up a suitcase and getting shipped off for a few months to sleepaway camp.
No parents. No pets. No neighbors. Just a long time away from mom and dad under the supervision of some stranger. Personally, I just don't get it.
I'm not a fan of camp in general; it's just not my thing. I can certainly understand the need for sending your kids to a day camp if both parents are working. But I will never understand why any parent would want to send their kids away to sleepaway camp for months at a time in the summer. I don't even mean teenagers. I'm talking about parents of kids in first, second, or third grade.
Is it so mom and dad can go take a cruise in the Caribbean without any kids? Is it just so they'll have some peace and quiet? Some alone time?
I became a parent so I could be ... a parent. I want to be with my kids. I want to spend time with them, not ship them off for a number of weeks. They grow up so incredibly fast as it is. There'll be plenty of "alone time" when they're off in college.
"But the kids love it? They have so much fun!" Yeah, I can hear you. Settle down. I'm sure there are kids who love it. Just like there are kids who probably can't wait to get out of their house and off to camp just so they can be away from their parents for the summer. But for those that truly do enjoy it, were they like that on day one of their first year? Or did they just learn to accept it at first and then slowly grow to enjoy it?
And then there's the food. Everyone I've talked to that sends their kids to sleepaway camp says the food is terrible. Their kids say it's awful. The skinny ones don't eat and lose a ton of weight, while the heavier campers just eat carbs all day and come back 10 pounds heavier. That's not even bad parenting, it's "no parenting." Letting young kids just choose whatever they want to eat all summer is a recipe for failure.
As far as I'm concerned, the only good to ever come out of sleepaway camp is Bill Murray's classic comedy Meatballs. Any other reason is just an excuse to put parenting on hold for a few months.
Do you send your kids to sleepaway camp?
Image via Steven Depolo/Flickr
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Comments 67
I personally have never sent my kids to an overnight camp. I used to go to a week long camp every summer as a kid and I loved it but we also didn't have as much supervision as I would have liked, now that I'm a parent. I also think 1st grade is just too young to be away that long unless they're staying at their grandparents for a week or something. Also, I think that it should really matter if your child WANTS to go to camp or not, I mean if you're sending your kid off to camp for three weeks and they're not happy about it, something is wrong there!
Sending your children off for periods of time is NOT selfhish in the least. If they are enjoying it, then you should enjoy some time to yourself as well (aren't you the one to complain about your 0 me-time). That being said, if your children't aren't happy at camp then you clearly haven't done your research........I would hate to have your daycare "suggestions".
I am not about to send my childrne to a camp that I haven't thoroughly researched in all areas. Besides, Caden has severe food allergies that make life difficult. I am thinking about sending him to a camp that is for food allergies brought by FAAN. It would be a nice change for him to be around children his age who are also dealing with food allergies.......he's quite alone in his normal class.
You were obviously never a camper. Camp is magical. The growth that children experience during their time at camp is unrivaled. Camp allows a child to experience the world through a new lense, make new friends, learn new activities, try new foods, make new memories. Camp is priceless.
I think camp is an awesome thing, and I remember in high school being a Camp Councillor for a few times a year. The kids were in 4-5th grade and it was an awesome experience. For myself, I can remember going as a little girl for a hike in the woods with my Councillor, and then him (Yes he was male, *gasp*) a Wintergreen lifesaver in my mouth and watching as we all crunched down on it, seeing the sparks fly, it was magical. I would never forgive myself if I stopped my children from experiencing something magical like that.
I can spell, Honest - counselor*
A week or two with a researched, recommended camp yes. Two months, no.
I find your rant completely hurtful and judgemental. I allow my kids to go to sleep away camp so they can expereince new things. I am a single mom of 2 and cannot afford to go on vacations and miss work. My kids go to camp every summer so they can swim and camp and horseback ride and meet new people. What since would it make for them to hang out at home in a little apt and sweat the day away when they can be with other kids and swim and hike and try new experiences? I am a good parent and want whats best for my kids. I am not shipping them off to be raised by someone else. They go not only becuase its what they want to do but because I am trying to give them oppurtunites to do things I can't offord. They get scholarships to go. Why would I want to deny this for them? they get new skills and friends. not everyone has the ability to miss work to go on vacations and/o stay home every day. Maybe you need to see things from a different point of view and not be so judgemental. I think this articel is really hateful and disrespectful. And by the way, my kids are only gone for 1 week and every year they wish it could be longer and they maintain the friendships with alot of the kids they meet.
this is bullshit. i see so many articles on this website about the mommy-wars, and not judging other people for the way they parent their children, and not being a sanctimommy, but then there's also the same amount of articles written about something that has NOTHING to do with the person who wrote them, judging other parents for something they don't approve of. so, what, it's ok for the people here to be judgmental bitches towards other parents, but how dare anyone judge them?!? you people are such hipocrytes. get over yourself. you don't have any right to judge someone's parenting just because you don't agree with or understand their choices. instead of using your column to talk about something that actually matters, you choose to talk about summer camp and how only horrible, evil parents send their children to camp? wow. talk about shallow.
@mlehto79 don't let this idiot blogger make you feel bad about your choices. i think it's wonderful and heartwarming that you're allowing your children to experience things you couldn't afford on your own. and your kids are obviously happy. and you definitely deserve that week to yourself, but that isn't what matters. your children are gaining new friends, a sense of freedom, learning new things, they're discovering themselves. and they're enjoying every minute of it. i have no doubt that if they didn't want to go, you wouldn't send them. so remember, you have happy, healthy, well-adjusted children and THAT is what matters, not the stupid, judgmental, worthless opinion of some out-spoken sanctimonious woman.