It is the first official week of summer in this neck of the woods – and several of my friends kids are already off to their various sleepaway camps. Some will be gone for as long as seven weeks.
My kids don’t do sleepaway camp. Given their sheer numbers (there are four of them) – this could be an expensive proposition. Also while growing up – I never had that opportunity, nor did I have much interest.
But since their friends are going – they have been expressing some interest. And to be honest – it seems like a nice way for the kids to spread their wings. Of course – that would mean a lot of homework for me – you know, doing those complete and thorough mommy background checks.
Our summers have mainly consisted of having the children participate in local activities. As they get older this has become a big driving burden for me. Most of the programs are offered at different locations and at various times. And when they are not participating in an activity – they often have friends over or head to their friends houses.
I love the activity and having the kids around – but sometimes it is very difficult to get things done if I am always on the go. Thankfully, I work from home – but the key word there is work.
Summer sleepaway camp offers the allure of calm and quiet – yet it seems like it would be lonely as well.
What are your thoughts? Do your kids head to overnight camp when school lets out?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
My kids started doing sleepaway camp a few years ago and they love it. It gives them a chance to try out their independence and make new friends. And while they’re off having fun, it gives me a chance to catch up on whatever projects didn’t get done over the school year as well as spend some quality couple time with my husband.
It can get a bit pricey though , especially the specialty camps. I’ve always found that Girl Scout and Boy Scout camps are a solid economical choice. They’re much less expensive that their unaffiliated counterparts, and usually offer the same round of activities. You don’t have to be a scout to attend either, although there may be an extra $12 fee depending on your state. Plus, the camps are meticulously supervised by the state scout council, so you know everything is quality controlled!
I think sending kids to a sleepaway summer camp is a great idea. The only thing that I don’t like is their strict rules with calling parents. This year, I got my son a pay as you go cell phone. Now he can call me whenever he feels homesick or whenever he just needs to talk. (or visa versa). It’s tough not talking to him whenever I want to. The phone is a Net10 phone and only costs 10 cents a minute. It’s convenient because there is no way he can go over his minutes and he only uses it to talk to me. Definitely gives me peace of mind knowing I can talk to him at all times.
Jules,
I think that the cell phone would be key for me also. I know that some camps don’t allow them – but it would be comforting for me to know that they can get in touch whenever they feel the need to talk to mom or dad.
Christie,
I must admit that I am a bit jealous of those parents whose kids do head out to camp for a few weeks each summer. I have a backlog of work and projects that need to get done – and it would give me the perfect opportunity! Several of my friends send their daughters to Girl Scout camps – and they love it. I did not realize that you did not have to be a scout to attend – this is something that I will have to look into next year.
I am a Summer Camp Director and admit to bias on this topic but I am hoping this response will be helpful to you.
Every day, every summer I am blessed to witness the amazing growth, friendship making, skill building, and gains in self confidence that occur through the summer camp experience. I also send my own child to summer camp and experience many of the same concerns that most parents do when their child is away from home and becomes part of the unique and isolated camp community.
My advice as both a Camping professional and a mother – first and foremost select an ACA (American Camp Association) accredited camp – ACA accreditation means that the camp has been held to best practice standards. You can view listings of ACA accredited camps on their website http://www.acacamps.org
While every camp has unique characteristics – for first timers – I recommend choosing a camp with a “traditional program” – one where your children can explore a wide variety of camp activities rather than a “specialty camp” where they focus on one specific activity.
Agency run / non-profit camps such as YMCA camps have scholarship programs to assist families financially. Many also have payment plans to help you space out the payments throughout the year. We even make it easy for grandparents and others to help pay for camp.
I also recommend that you consider a camp that allows for shorter sessions – one or two weeks – gives you the most scheduling flexibility, more affordability and easier for first timers – both campers and parents find it easier to commit to a couple weeks than an entire summer.
Other things to consider
- health care staff (we have RNs on duty 24/7 – some camps use a first aider) especially if your child has a health care issue or regularly takes medication.
- staff ratios / selection / diversity
- campers – diversity/retention rate
- the director’s qualifications and tenure
- will they share names and phone numbers of past campers’ parents with you as a reference
Good luck in exploring this opportunity for your children. Sending them to sleep away camp will be one of the best things you can do to prepare them for a lifetime of success. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or I can help you in any way. I truly believe every child deserves the magic of a high quality summer camp experience! let me know how I can support your family.
Cherie ~
Thank you so much for your perspective! You have included a lot of valuable information that will make it easier for parents to start the evaluation process. I do have one question – when is the right time to start looking at camps for the following year? And how early do the sign ups begin? Every year it seems that summer creeps up on me – and by the time I start planning for it, it seems like everyone else has already signed up.
Most camps start enrolling campers for the next summer while still in the midst of the current summer – generally returning campers enroll by December and are given first option to enroll. The peak enrollment season for new campers used to be January – March. Though in recent years that has changed to later. the closer you get to the end of the school year the fewer options you’ll have.
If you can, I recommend going to visit the camp(s) that you are considering for next summer during this summer. There is no better way to see how a camp is run than to see it during its busiest season.
To be perfectly honest, in this economy – many camps have openings for this summer still. If you can be flexible related to the dates , you may be able to find a great camp for this summer.
Good Luck! If you are interested, I have a blog – I use it to share insights into our camp but a lot of the subjects are universal. If its of interest / help – check it out http://www.campspeersymca.blogspot.com