Overnight Summer Camp

[Adina]

So, it's that time of year again, summer camp sign up. In the past, my daughters have gone to a local day camp.

My dh went to overnight camp every summer starting at age 8 when he was growing up, and has really fond memories and made some lifelong friends. He really wants the girls to have a chance to go, and I was sure they would NOT want to, so I gave in this year and said we could ask the girls what they want to do. We showed them two day camp websites, two overnight camp websites, and also gave the camp they went to last year as an option. Both girls want to go to an overnight camp!!!

I'm really shocked, the overnight camp is in Maine...we live in Boston. It's 8 weeks long. Our kids will be 8 (almost 9) and 10 this summer. 8 just seems so young. Am I just being overprotective? Have any of your kids gone to overnight camp? What was their experience?

[mommybritt]

8 weeks?! I wouldn't be comfortable with that long of a time away. I remember going to overnight camp at 8 and it was 3 weeks long and that seemed a loooong time to be away from my parents (though I did enjoy myself most of the time and was there with my best friend). My brother went to the same camp at 8 and it was a disaster, he hated every second and went home early. Even if I could get my head around overnight camp at 8, I couldn't do 8 weeks - my dd is almost 8 and I know that she wouldn't be able to truly understand how long 8 weeks is and what it would be like to be away from us for that long - do you think your kids get that part of it?

[elizawill]

well... i can only base the question on my 2 kids, and they would NOT be able to be away from me for 8 weeks. my dd is 7 now & she's ready to come home after one night away from me at a spend the night party, lol. not to mention, she still needs a lot of sleep ....and when she's tired she wants mama. she also still needs cuddles a lot. in all honestly though, i don't know if i will ever feel good about 8 weeks of summer camp for my kids. i'm sure as they get older i'll be open to it perhaps....but right now it sounds like an eternity, lol.

[lifeguard]

I've worked at several camps & usually our youngest campers were 6 & the vast majority handled it easily & had a great time. I must admit though, 8 weeks seems awfully long.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

Do the girls know that the sleep away camp is 8 weeks long? Also, while they really won't be hanging out together I am sure, they will have each other, so if one get a little homesick, she won't really be alone. To me that sounds like the ideal age to start going. I would have loved to go have gone away to camp and will definitely offer to K if money allows.

How many parents weekends do they have? Would they allow you to just show up for an afternoon?

[lucyem]

I was a long time camper as well as a counselor. 8 weeks is a very long time, especially for first time campers. As for being 8/9, while I was not ready at age 8, I had many 6 yr olds under my charge as a counselor and most were fine at an overnight camp. Plus it sounds like your children will be together.

In my experience some camps can be very strict about parent contact especially in the first couple of weeks. I would ask ahead of time. My sister went to a camp that allowed no contact at all the first week. No letters or anything. Then the counselors screened the camper's letters home. I think thats a bit much and I would not allow that for my child. My parents did not know until afterwards and were a bit upset about it. We used to check packages for food at one camp because of issues with animals in the tents. That I can understand.

[choli]

I think 8 weeks is way too long for first time campers. 2 weeks would probably be best at that age.

[mammastar2]

Around here, most first-time overnight camps are 1-2 weeks at most - some only a long weekend!

[Scottishduffy]

Well,

You DID let them choose, and now are not happy with their decision. But are the girls happy with they decision? Do they appear excited and happy about going? I think you should make sure to talk with your girls about how long camp will be, be honest and don't be negative just honest. Tell them about living with other kids, being away, writing letters, having to dress and care for themselves, counselors and the whole bit. Maybe your hubby could talk to them about him early days at camp and what it is like. However, if they are still excited to go (After the talk) then give it a chance. If they chose to go that implies they feel ready. By going back on the decison after you allowed them to choose would send the message that it was never really a choice and that you don't trust in their ability to choose what they feel is best for themselves.

I also attended summer camp every year starting at age 8. I went away for 4-5 weeks every summer and while I was nervous at first... i loved it! My parents also let me choose my camp. My grandmother was very afraid to let me go so far (I live in FL, camp was in VA) but it ended up being the greatest experience of my life. I went all the way to be a counselor and had 4 weeker 9 yr olds my counselor year. They got homesick the first 2 days but after that I never had a single homesick girl. They were just learning new skills, making friends, and learning to trust in their own independence. Camp can be great for helping kids learn some independence and to trust in their own abilities and choices! My camp took 7 yr olds as the youngest and over a 10 yr period I attended we only had ONE child get so homesick that we felt it best to send her home early.

Hope this works out for everyone. Really take time to learn about the camp and get comfortable with it if they wish to go. Just because *you* are very afraid for them to go does not mean that they feel the same. I know was always much harder on my parents and on my campers parents then it was on the girls! :-)

[Kirsten]

They've never gone to an overnight camp before - not even a weekend? And this one is EIGHT WEEKS???? That seems like a terrible idea, no matter how much fun your dp had when he was a kid.

I'd find an overnight camp that is four or five days for their first time out. Maybe a two week the next summer if that one goes well.

And based on what it cost for my dd1 to go to an overnight camp for five days a couple summers ago, I cannot imagine what it would cost to send two kids for eight weeks.

I think it was wrong to give them an option that isn't a good idea in the first place. But you can still fix it - just like anything else that we do in error. You go to them and explain that you've changed your mind due to these reasons and the new plan is xyz. Let them know that the camp you've talked about previously is an option in a few years - something they can look forward to.

My VERY outgoing dd - who has been in a zillion new situations, group activities, day camps, new schools, etc and who was really excited to go to sleepover camp with her friend who'd been before, HATED sleepover camp. They didn't let her call home, but she reported that she cried every day. She was really pretty traumatized for over a year about it. Brought it up a lot. It was my worst parenting mistake in 12 years. And it was just five days. I can't imagine if she'd been gone any longer.

[fridgeart]

Originally Posted by Adina

So, it's that time of year again, summer camp sign up. In the past, my daughters have gone to a local day camp.

My dh went to overnight camp every summer starting at age 8 when he was growing up, and has really fond memories and made some lifelong friends. He really wants the girls to have a chance to go, and I was sure they would NOT want to, so I gave in this year and said we could ask the girls what they want to do. We showed them two day camp websites, two overnight camp websites, and also gave the camp they went to last year as an option. Both girls want to go to an overnight camp!!!

I'm really shocked, the overnight camp is in Maine...we live in Boston. It's 8 weeks long. Our kids will be 8 (almost 9) and 10 this summer. 8 just seems so young. Am I just being overprotective? Have any of your kids gone to overnight camp? What was their experience?

I started going to overnight camp when I was 8 going on 9, and loved it for the most part (I went for years after that as well!) I remember being a bit homesick at first, but really enjoyed it. Your DDs might have an easier time of it since they'll have each other.
I do think 8 weeks is a little long-I think I went for 3 weeks the first few years, and that was long enough. Is a shorter session possible?

[philomom]

8 weeks is way too long. Let them go for one week. If they love it , sign them up next year for two weeks. Staying gone more than two weeks from a parent would be abdicating my role and job as parent. I really don't approve of kids being gone all summer unless it is some sort of tremendous academic opportunity. And even then, I'd want them to be high school age before being gone so long. I use the one week without kids to re-connect with my spouse. It's a wonderful time.

[Ruthla]

My oldest went to sleepaway camp for a week the summer she was 10, with a friend. She had an OK time but the friendship fell apart that sumer. She didn't want to go back to THAT camp again, although she did want to go to camp again.

The following summer (ages 10 and 11) I signed both girls up for camp for a month. Their bunks were near each other. DD1 had a blast and returned the years she was 12 and 13, but DD2 didn't want to go back.

This particular camp offers a girls' camp in July and a boys' camp in August so going for 8 weeks was never an option. I think DD1 would have enjoyed 8 weeks, but it was way too much for DD2. If I could go back in time, I think I would have taken DD2 home after 2 weeks, when we were up there anyway for visiting day.

Some kids are ready at age 8, others aren't. Some prefer to stay home even as teenagers. Most kids are probably ready starting around 9 or 10- that's when we started the sleepover birthday parties.

IF your daughters can be in the same bunk, it might be easier on them. I'd also look into signing them up for a shorter session, and, most importantly, be open to taking one or both girls home early if they've had enough. Most camps, even if they're open for 8 weeks, do offer shorter sessions as well.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

My 9 YO will be going to 1 week camp for the first time this summer. I think 8 or 9 is a great time to start with overnight camps, but no way would I be open to an 8 week long option. I doubt that your kids understand how long that is -- mine sure wouldn't. I think I would go back and explain that you goofed in presenting that one as an option and give them two choices of much shorter camps.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I'm not a parent (yet), but saw this and wanted to post. I was a camp counselor for a long time, and camp lifeguard for a long time. I LOVED going to summer camp when I was a kid, it was awesome. My older brother and I both thought it was amazing. My little brother was too young the first time I went, but he went with us the year after. Prior to that he hadn't even spent the night at the next door neighbors house successfully - he always got homesick. My parents were really worried about him going to camp b/c of that, and sent him with stamped, addressed envelopes so that he could write home. Well, they took him to the drop off place for camp, and he got on the bus kicking and screaming saying he didn't want to go....and then they didn't hear from him at all the entire time he was gone. He came home and had had the best time of his life, made tons of friends, and thought his counselors were the best people in the world. My parents were pretty surprised.

But, I did work at a camp this past summer that was an all summer camp, and the youngest were 12 - WAY too young in my opinion - it was very hard on them. Maybe you can try and find a camp where the stay is more like 2 weeks - thats just about perfect for kids. The camp I worked at for a long long time had 1 and 2 week sessions, and there was 1 sibling pair that was always there the whole summer and the younger one had a really hard time with it.

Anyway, I love camp, and think all kids should have the opportunity to go to camp - but 8 weeks is a long time to send an 8 year old.

[meemee]

woah 8 weeks for a 8 years olds FIRST ever overnight camp!!!

no way!!!!

a week or two - yes. but not 8.

[Malva]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

I've worked at several camps & usually our youngest campers were 6 & the vast majority handled it easily & had a great time.

Same.

Except the camps lasted only a week. Eight weeks is way too long. That's the whole summer!

[phathui5]

My eight year old ds is campaigning to go to overnight camp this summer. We're looking at two options. One is a week long and the other is two weeks (but we have a friend that works there).