Poll: Did you do sleepaway camp as a child?

[redheadbaker]

A lot of DS' friends went to sleepaway camp this summer. I looked at a few, and I don't think we'll ever be able to afford it. We struggle to pay for 3 days a week of day camp (he goes to my mom's the other two days a week). Neither H nor I ever went as kids. 

I heard a radio segment about it, all the benefits, helping kids become independent, less likely to be homesick if/when they go away to college (homesickness hit me HARD), etc. 

Just wondering if I'm scarring my child for life for not sending him, LOL. 

[sarahbear]

It's not really a thing here (Southern California). People go, but it's more rare. Out of all the friends and kids we know, which is a lot, I only know one family who sends their children. And they're from east coast and send their kids to camps back where they grew up.

[brooke77]

Yes. I loved it. I would do 2 weeks in the summer when I was pretty young (5-8ish)? Then that camp burned down. It was a Christian camp, but we just did camp things - arts & crafts, swimming, hiking.

When I was older (12+), I would do sleepaway sports camp, too.

I always went to camp with a friend or my siblings and had a great experience. I would totally send DS to camp if one of his friends or cousins were going. Not sure if I would send him totally alone and just expect him to make friends. Could be a totally miserable experience for a shy kid.

[gibbinator]

The only sleep away activity I ever did was weekend immersion camps at the French university when I was in grade 7-9, so essentially overnight school trips. I never went to a summer camp, day or night. I was fine, never particularly wanted to go.

[krystee]

I never did and almost no one I knew then did either. My kids will probably do Scout camp, which is one week long and much cheaper than actual camps, I think.

[jnibean]

I did not go to sleep away camps when I was young, and I didn't know anyone else who did. My grandparents did take me and my two cousins closest in age to me to their cabin for the weekend several times each summer without our parents, so I did experience being away from home and my parents.

[mx27]

Jul 6, 2019 9:52:30 GMT -5 BirdGirl said:

I went. My kids will go. I loved it as a child. I was a shy kid who thrived at camp away from the regular crowd. It’s not cheap though. We’re in a fortunate position to be able to afford it. We have to cover 8 full weeks of camps. Full day camps range from $250-$500+ here. We’re doing a few weeks of the $250 camps to make up some of the difference for 2 weeks of overnight camp. But I realize those numbers themselves are pretty incredible.

is that $250-$500 per week?

[devonpow]

I grew up in Southern California and didn’t know anyone who went to overnight camp. . Now I live outside Boston and it’s a big deal here -a LOT of kids go and most go for the full summer (7 weeks). DS1 (12) is on his second summer - he’s staying 4 weeks now and I don’t think he will ever go 7 weeks.

[Mrs.flang]

I don’t remember it being a thing here. I went to Girl Scout camp every year but that was only a weekend if I recall correctly. I do remember being jealous of kids that did summer rec and I didn’t get to go because my mom SAH.

[namasteak]

I went to a bunch of camps as a kid but they were cheaper ones (Girl Scout camp and church camp). Elementary school I just went for 3 nights and in middle school I did several sessions of 1 week camps. Then in high school I did several sessions of 2 week camps because I could be a junior counselor for 1 week and camper for the other.

I loved it but DH hates summer camp. Going to camp has benefits but you are definitely not harming your kid by him not going.

[Deleted]

I did for Girl Scout camp. Around here I've really only heard of Girl Scout/Boy Scout camps and other mountain adventure camps. I'm hoping we can send them someday, if I go back to work as planned we will definitely send them for maybe a week at a time.

[mmmomof2]

I never went (except for 6th grade outdoor ed through my school and cheer camp in high school), but I really want my daughters to go. We just sent my almost 10 year old to a 5 night horse camp through the YMCA. Our parents each contributed as a birthday gift to her, but it was still pricey. If we had the budget I'd sent each girl for at least 2 weeks each summer. The non-scout/ymca camps that I've seen are at least $1800 per week.

I agree that it's a great experience for them. She came home dirty, but so happy. Her hair was not nearly as tangled as I expected and she was not sun burned! I call it a win! Still haven't been through her things to see what she has lost though.

[ellipses84]

My school district always sent 6th graders for one school week. It was pretty cheap/subsidized and there were scholarships/financial aid for kids who couldn’t afford it. It was one of the best experiences of my childhood. I came from a working poor family who could never afford a private summer camp, and I was a really shy kid who was able to bond with my bunk mates. I’d had a tough school year prior to that with my friend group mean-girl-ing another girl and later me.

We pay a lot for YMCA summer day camp now and they do overnights for older kids that’s not a ton more, so I may send DS when he’s older. He’s a city boy and I really want to him to love the great outdoors.

[statgirl]

I did sleep away church camp. I was horribly homesick in college and went home. My brother never did camp or left my parents’ house. He was fine in college. Same for my husband and BIL. Anecdotes but we all are productive members of society now.

[joy]

I never went. I have zero plans to send my kid unless she asks specifically to go. I’m a perfectly functional and independent adult.

I have strong feelings about forcing an unwilling kid into sleep away camp for “benefits.” If they want to go then I’m yay! If not? I would never in a million years force it.

[jackie011]

Jewish sleepaway camp is huge! I went once, for two weeks, and for whatever reason, my parents didn’t send me the next year and I fell out of the habit. I worked at a day camp, instead. As an adult, I can see people who made those camp connections very early on and then had a whole network as they went through youth group activities, college and beyond. I fully intend to send DS when he’s ready, but struggle with which camp is right for us...and how exactly we’ll pay for it.

[penguingrrl]

I went to one week sessions through a grant from my church two different summers. I was always jealous of my cousins who went for 8 weeks every year. I priced it recently and it will never happen for my kids. It has a lot of benefits, but is generally only for the pretty well off.

[VillainV]

We mostly did day camp in the summer, but starting around age 13 or so we usually did at least a week at some kind of sleep away camp — sports, academic enrichment, etc. My grandparents helped pay for some, but others were educational and heavily subsidized by our local universities.

[jinkies]

I did one week/summer, but not till middle school. I never did a multi week camp, and never at elementary ages.

My son started going to the same camp last year when he was 10.

[sunflower17]

I didn’t go and there’s no way in hell I would have gone. I was shy and did not like being away from my family. I’m an only child. I wouldn’t even go to day camp or the like unless I went with friends. (My parents wouldn’t have been able to afford it anyway)
I was in NYC and I also had the same sentiment going to college. I didn’t want to stay in a dorm and share because I had my own space at home. And I should note that my parents were strict and a total pain in my ass. Everyone is different. You’re kid will surely be fine!!

ETA- I have a toddler and I can’t be sure, but seriously doubt I’d send her to sleep away camp when she’s older. Grandma’s for a week or so, sure!! Lol

[Velar Fricative]

I never did any kind of camp, sleepaway or otherwise. It was unaffordable for us. I also lived at home during most of college lol. By the time I moved out at 23 I was fine. I don’t think I was hindered socially or anything.

DD1 goes to day camp and we live in a different part of the area than where we grew up. It’s hard to tell whether sleepaway camp is popular here. I don’t think it is but maybe I think that because I don’t have kids at that age yet.

[minniemouse]

I went to camp twice, the summer after 4th grade and 5th grade. They were 1 week sessions of Girl Scout camp. I loved it so much, I didn’t want to come home after a week. I was super shy and didn’t know anyone that was going, but made friends pretty quickly. Overnight Gs camp isn’t that much more than some full time day camps here. My kids- ages 9.5 and almost 6- have no interest in it so far.

[icedcoffee]

Every year from the time I turned 7 (for 3 weeks) through college (up to 6 weeks total). It was actually cheaper than day camp since it was through a youth organization I grew up with. My kid will go to the same camp assuming he speaks enough of the language to go. I loved it and I’m sure my parents didn’t mind an empty house. My mom also went to this camp growing up. The current price is $1,275 for 3 weeks. Can’t beat that! LOL. I definitely got to experience a lot of things my friends didn’t.

[aprilsails]

I didn’t as a child, but regularly spent two weeks per summer at the cottage with my grandparents. My daughter is doing the same.

I starting when I was 12 I did a 4day camp with school. Then I started sailing trips at 14 for a week+. I became an officer at the age of 16 and spent 3-4 months sailing every summer after that until I was 20. The ships ran youth summer camp programs and it was super fun. I skipped June and September of high school pretty well every year but my school had a program for correspondence students so I temporarily enrolled in that. The school also gave me credit for the navigation courses and exams I took during high school. Final exams for some of those courses and the commercial licenses were 8hrs long.

[JayhawkGirl]

No, and our kids won’t. The overnight camp kids go to here is very religious, which is not for us. Lots of prayer time and prayer circles and prayer journaling.

The other is Boy Scout based, also a pass.

[ribollita]

I went and loved it and my kids love it. Have you looked into scholarships/price reductions? Many Y camps and maybe scout camps have generous options.

[fancynewbeesly]

I went starting at 10. I am Jewish and in the northeast and sleep away camps are huge here. There are many stores that cater to the kids going away to camp. The longest I was gone was 8 weeks. But usually 4 weeks was what I did.

I was a camp counselor for a few summers and loved it as well b

[sillygoosegirl]

Only once, and only sorta. I did Operation Catapult as a rising senior in high school, which was a 3 week STEM program at a college I was strongly considering attending. Strictly speaking I think that counts as a "camp" even though there was no camping, and certainly it was a sleepaway situation, but I think of sleepaway camp as more of a kid thing. This was more like college preview the year before.

As a homeschooler I did homeschooler camp every year, but at homeschooler camp, the homeschool organization rents out the whole sleepaway camp when regular school is in session, but you go with your parent (or sometimes with a homeschool friend and their parent), and there aren't any counselors and minimal or no camp staff.

[konapoppy]

Yes! I loved it. For a few years I did two to three camps (one for my chorus and the other two were 2-4 week classic sleep away). By the time I was a sophomore, I was spending 8 weeks away straight. We donate monthly to the camp.

I really hope the girls want to go. They have a junior camp that I hope to enroll them in at 7.

[tiki]

I did a few years of one-week 4-H camps in the forest (sleeping in cabins, crafts, fireside singalongs, fishing, hiking) when I was junior high age. I was always terrified to go every year but then also never wanted to leave by the end.