Sleep away summer camp

[waverly]

DH went to a Christian sleep away summer camp for several years.  I don't know how many times, at a youngish age.  All his siblings went, and they all loved it.

So of course, he wants DS to go.  But it is a 5 hour drive one way, so 10 hours round trip for drop off and pick up.  Pick up we could get him and then do our family vacation in the same area.

It was only a 2 hour drive when DH was a kid because they lived closer.   His parents were strict authoritarian parents but hands off in some ways like pushed their kids to be very independent well at least the two kids that were healthy. 

I feel like 7 is a bit young and it is $700 for one week, which seems high.  

But DH really wants him to go.  Thoughts on sleep away summer camp?  I went once to the Girl Scout camp down the street.  It was fun, but it wasn't something I felt I had to do every year.  I did go back and work one summer as a counselor, which was a really hard job because I only got a 2 hour break in 24 hours, but fun to be outside all the time. 

[186momx]

I looked at a 4 day sleep away gymnastic camp at the college an hour away. It was $800. Arrive Thursday at 1pm go home Monday by 3pm. The schedule was insane but it starts for age 7. I told DD no way as she would be melting down by the second day. Lights out wasn't until 10 and they had a full day of gymnastics, swimming, movie nights, etc.

I wouldn't send DD 10 hours away at age 7. Maybe compromise and do it when he is 10. By then he has more slumber party experience and maybe you will have all the OT, PT, stuff over and he will have more fun.

[2chatter]

I’d wait for that camp and build up. GS builds to troop camping by spending a day outside hiking/playing/cooking, sleeping in a tent/cabin with parents, without parents, short camp then long camp.

Same with DDs - we did weekend camps or three days before week camps. I will say though that most people view one week camp as the precursor to two week and then four week camp with four week camp being the goal.

And that price is awesome - the three we would consider start at $1200 and that doesn’t include the camp packages or spending money.

[leap]

We have talked about sending DD1 (8) to the YMCA camp that is less than 2 hours from here. Both DH and I went to camp as kids and worked at camps as young adults. We think it would be a good experience for her. DD1 is outgoing, friendly, and very active/athletic. I think she'd love it, but I'm hesitating because it seems like a lot of money for 1 week.

[mommyatty]

No way is DD going to be ready in a little over a year to be away from home with strangers for a week. (She turns 6 in July.) You know your kid, but I’m struggling to think of any kids I know who would have ready at that young age. If it was a night or two? Maybe, though 10 hrs in a car for a weekend would be a no go for me. If he really wants to do a sleep away thing, maybe see if you can find something shorter and closer by.

[covergirl82]

DS might do ok at a sleep-away camp (8, will be 9 in July), but DD (7) is nowhere near ready for a sleep-away summer camp. We have a local camp (20 minutes away) that does a 2-night camp for younger kids (like 6-9 or 10) that I would consider if the kids expressed interest. I can't imagine having them be hours away if something were to go wrong.

[traveltheworld]

We'll be sending DS to sleep away camp for 4 nights this summer. He'll be 6 by then. BUT, the camp is only 90 minutes away, and he will be with 2 friends he knows from kindergarten (both of whom have older siblings that know and adore DS and are going to be at the same camp).

Going by himself for a camp that'd be 5 hours away is a non-starter in my mind.

[waverly]

I would feel more comfortable waiting until 8 or 9 myself. In-laws and my mom and sister are all about 2 hours away if it was an emergency, I could ask one of them to get there before we do.

I might tell DH that if wants his new car, then he needs to wait on pushing for summer camp. We have done 1 night camping and that has been it, and DS was scared with mebeside him the whole time. They would be in buildings that may seem less scary, but still scary because he has never been there before and it is nighttime.

[waverly]

Mar 8, 2018 14:14:49 GMT -5 2chatter said:

I’d wait for that camp and build up. GS builds to troop camping by spending a day outside hiking/playing/cooking, sleeping in a tent/cabin with parents, without parents, short camp then long camp.

Same with DDs - we did weekend camps or three days before week camps. I will say though that most people view one week camp as the precursor to two week and then four week camp with four week camp being the goal.

And that price is awesome - the three we would consider start at $1200 and that doesn’t include the camp packages or spending money.

The build up of time is what DH was thinking.  I don't really get the point then again I don't get the point of boarding school either.  I mean my kids do drive me crazy like all kids, but I want them around rather than shipping them off for 4 weeks.  1-2 weeks I could see being handy for going on a without kids vacation, but 4 weeks seems so long. 

[mommyatty]

Another thing. Many people struggle to remember how old they were when something happened in their lives, but conversely they can remember what grade they were in. Can you ask your hubs what grade he was in/what grades he was between when he first went.

[2chatter]

Four week camp is crazy cakes to me - but only because my kids would not go for it - they have too much else to check out for a full month of sports and activities - and would miss other camps.

[rere]

Ds was 10. He liked it. It was only 3 hrs away. He didn't want to go again though. He also came home with unopened shampoo and soap after a week.

We didn't let Dd go. She asked, but didn't beg, had no other friends going, and will only selectively spend the night with very close family or friends at 12.

[librarychica]

Mar 8, 2018 14:24:49 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

No way is DD going to be ready in a little over a year to be away from home with strangers for a week. (She turns 6 in July.) You know your kid, but I’m struggling to think of any kids I know who would have ready at that young age. If it was a night or two? Maybe, though 10 hrs in a car for a weekend would be a no go for me. If he really wants to do a sleep away thing, maybe see if you can find something shorter and closer by.

This, except my kid turned 6 over the winter. She would not deal. She’s never even slept away anywhere that wasn’t a grandparents.

I would definitely try something on a smaller scale first.

[librarychica]

I never went to camp, but in my mind it’s like a 9 and up thing. Like I want you reasonably able to kayak.

So there’s my arbitrary marker. :-)

[akafred]

Surely there are options closer to home you could both consider if it is something DS wants.

For me: My mom cleaned houses to raise money for my sibs and me to do sports and go to camp. (My dad was the breadwinner and my mom was a SAHM except for that. Otherwise we couldn't afford it or perhaps my dad just was too much of a tightwad. Both possible.) The camp I went to started at rising second grade as a half week and rising third grade as a full week. They have increased the age since I attended. It was a Christian camp with cabins and campfires, archery and arts and crafts. It was a great experience and I looked forward to going when I was too young and I looked forward to it every year. It was about an hour away. When I was 9 my family moved, and I didn't get to go after. I always felt ripped off when I was a kid because the horseback camp started the next year (age-wise). Not sure why they didn't just drive the three hours but it was a no.

For DD: She actually did do a 1-night camp (4 days at day camp and 1 overnight plus the fifth day of day camp) when she was going into K. I thought it was too young and I was right. She did ok but had a behavior meltdown on the bus the last day that was pretty severe. She wants to go again (different camp). She's almost obsessed with it. She watches "Bunk'd" on repeat practically, plays "camp" with her toys, etc. She'll be 9 this summer. We considered it last year, but her meds weren't in a good place and we knew it would be a disaster. Her meds are in a good place now; if that continues then we will probably send her. DH is sort of opposed while I feel like it's her journey. He never went to camp. He only attempted one sleepover as a kid, and the other kid snored so he called his mom to pick him up. The camp we are considering is just across town on a lake. It's run by a children's charity and has all the normal camp stuff. They start overnights at age 8, and the cost is affordable (I want to say $450 for the week? Sun drop off Sat pick up). They also have day camp, so I am going to attempt to work from another office near there for a week and take DD to day camp so she can be used to it and we can see how they handle her. If all is well we'll sign her up. Last year the person I talked to said there are usually late summer openings for sleepaway camp, so I'm just going to risk it.

From my research going to the annual camp fair for several years, there are a few kinds of sleepaway camps. You have your church/community group Tier 1, lower cost very back to nature. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts fit, though kind of a 1A since often the whole pack camps at once and they know each other. Then you have your fancy church, which is the same but more $$$ (like the one your H went to probably). Then you have your specialty camps, for specific types of individuals or special activities. They have many tiers, but are usually pricey. And finally you have your "This is where the rich people send their kids while they summer (as a verb)" camps, which are typically very expensive and people travel many miles for this. These are typically 2 weeks minimum up to 4 weeks, and cost as much for one kid to go as my whole family spends on a lot of our week long vacations lol. They hand out DVDs at camp fairs and offer raffles for $500 off a 2 week camp stay. We'd need 4 of those to even be in the ballpark!

[waverly]

Thanks everyone. We talked and while DH is disappointed he understood that I thought DS was too young this year. He already goes to the Grandparents for one week in the summer. There is a Cub Scout family camp out in May for him to get more experience. He was pretty scared when we went in September - first time camping.

We also decided no on a new car. We want all the fun stuff, but keep coming back to practicality and not wanting to be in too much debt.

[saraml13]

DH also did a sleep away camp ~5 hours away that he wants the boys to go to as soon as they are old enough. I think it’s a lot pricier than that, so we’ll have that discussion/debate when we get to that age. I do know they start the youngest group off as father/son camp and DH is super excited about that. So maybe look into if they have any family programs for young campers.

[waverly]

Mar 9, 2018 8:09:38 GMT -5 saraml13 said:

DH also did a sleep away camp ~5 hours away that he wants the boys to go to as soon as they are old enough. I think it’s a lot pricier than that, so we’ll have that discussion/debate when we get to that age. I do know they start the youngest group off as father/son camp and DH is super excited about that. So maybe look into if they have any family programs for young campers.

For a second there I was wondering if it was the same camp because I think we live in the same area. 😀 They do have a family weekend DH was open to it, but not super enthused about it.

[CrazyLucky]

DS went to a Christian camp last year and LOVED it. He was 7. For 7 year old, they have a short week - just a 3 day camp to kind of get them used to it, I guess. This year, he'll be 8 and has the option of short week or full week. He is begging for the full week and we're planning to do it. It's only an hour away though. I'm not sure I would even consider a camp that required 20 total hours of drive time for me.

[shakinros]

I went to camp in the NC mountains in the summers for awhile. 6-7hr drive for my folks to get me there. I think I started with a two week camp when I was 9, going into 5th grade. Two of my friends went that summer and had been before so that’s the only reason my parents were ok with it. I did the same camp for 4 weeks the next couple years. Pretty sure is was like $900/week 30 years ago. Can’t imagine how much now!

I would like DD to go to sleep away camp one day. I think it’s a good experience for kids. Not until she’s going into 4th or 5th grade though.

[kimberlybb]

I did a sleep away Christian camp and an overnight swim camp at a state university starting at 10 or 11. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending the kids for a full week till they were that age but would consider a two or three day overnight camp when they are 8 or 9.