Camp

I never went to camp as a kid, and neither did anyone in my neighborhood. Summers were for our pools, going to the beach, and just general PLAYING all day.

When I first started teaching, I realized that every kid at my school went to camp, and about half went to sleepaway camp. I though that was ridiculous, and decided I'd NEVER send MY child to camp. I wanted my children to enjoy summer as I did.
Then I realized, if everyone else goes to camp, who will my child play with?! I grudgingly realized that camp was probably inevitable.

Now that I'm older, and in the mode to actually have a child, I'm thinking camp is a great idea, and hoping I'll have the money to send my child to a really great day camp, or even sleepaway or travel camp. It's funny how your mind set changes...

My question is (and I do have one ) did you go to camp? Do/will you send your children?

I went to sleep away camp one summer for two weeks - that was the extent of my camp experience.

I never went to camp (although I was a camp counselor, does that count? ) and sleep away camp was out of the question because I was so scared of sleeping over anyone's houses...I know, weird. If my child is anything like me I would never 'make' them go to a sleep away camp but a camp during the day might be fun for them.

Sleepaway camp was the most important time of my childhood/adoloscent years. I had a wonderful family life, but the time away over the summer taught me how to be away from my parents and survive without them (i was well prepared when it was time for college). It also gave me the the experience of living with other girls, bonding - and taught me social skills.... And when it came time, it gave me my first kiss, dances, friends that I have cherished to this day - and share wonderful memories with. It gave me a chance to experiment with my personality (which is very important during adolescent years, say my psychology books) - since you are kinda caught with one 'reputation/personality' by the time you get to junior high/high school since you know your class mates, in some cases for 8-9 years before those crucial years. At camp, you escape from your school friends and can be liked for who you are 'now' rather than who your were when you were 7. Also at camp, we went on outings where we learned survival skills.... not that they've really come in handy (except when hubby and i went camping over the summer) - but they are important to know and it gives you a new appreciation for what you have at home...

I went to camp from age 10 to 17 and loved every minute and learned SO much. I can't wait to send my kids (although i'm not sure i want them having their first kiss at age 12 :-) )

The only camp I went to was Soccer camp.
I really enjoyed going, however it was only for about 2 weeks.
I think it is a great way for children to make new friends, and become involved in activities, hoping that they would be involved in school as they get older.
I would probably send my child to camp, if he/she wants to go.

like you jen...all the kids in my neighborhood were home for the summer...but we went to swimming lessons every day...every year...

so summers were at the beach for me...

DH was sent to Spain to stay with his grandparents and is fluent in Spanish b/c of it and so close to his grandparents...

so I think if there are not kids around...I would send my kids to a family member's house...MIL has a ranch in AZ (which is like a camp) or Spain or wherever to let them experience the world

Erica, you're lucky to have family in other areas for your children to visit. That sounds like a great option!
I doubt my kids will be enthusiastic about going 20 minutes east to visit my mom in Centereach for the summer...

Never went to camp. We spent the summers at the local community pool...

I don't think I'll send my children to a day or sleep-away camp. But if they wanted to, I would love to see them go to a 'camp' for sports. So I guess I'd say yes if it was a sports camp.

I used to go to Girl Scout sleepaway for 3 weeks each summer for about 4 summers. I Loved it!!! I hope that my kids want to do the same!

Good question, Jenn.


I went to a local day camp maybe for a summer or 2. It was lots of fun, I remember playing softball with the big boys the 14 year olds ! and losing track of what was going on if one of the cute ones was nearby


Most of the summers of my life were spent in Italy. From late June till Early September, sometimes even late for school ! . Those are summers that I wouldnt trade for the world. I went about 13 times by the time I was 18, and then by 20, I met my husband, and never went again . He hates to fly, my grandparents are deceased, and it seems to not be as exciting with my grandparents gone. I can write a whole tear-jerker paragraph on my summers spent there.
We learned alot about life when my mom was a kid. She pointed out the lake where she srubbed her laundry, she pointed out the roads where she sat behind the horse carriage to get to her crops, and work a long day under the hot sun. Many times we begged to wake up at 4am with grandpa and go to 'the field' and help him with either tying up the tomato plants because they were getting heavy, or picking olives from their olive trees, (with which he later made fresh olive oil) or picking fresh figs off their fig trees (yum!!)...
I wouldnt trade my summers for anything.

Unfortunately, my kids wont be able to experience what me and my siblings did, first hand. Sure, I can take them back and tell them the stories. but hearing it from my grandparents and my mom who did it all, was priceless. Seeing his wine cellar will have no effect on my kids, but it will bring chills down my spine, remembering him sitting down there 'tasting' his precious wine for hours !

The summers spent at home in Queens were also fun. Going to the local pool, eating Mister Softee every nite, and playing hide and seek outside all night.

ANYWAY, off my long tangent.

If I could afford sleep-away camp, I think I'd do it.
One of my previous bosses sent his daughters until they were 17, and they loved it immensely. They cried for weeks when they had to come home !

I saw camp and had to jump in

My dad went to sleepaway camp from the ages of 5 - 18. The family joke is sleepaway camp to boot camp since he joined the army when he was 18.

He told my mother I had to go to camp. He went to camp so I had to.

Thank goodness my mom had common sense to not send me to sleepaway camp. I did however go to day camp.

I hated it. the trips were nice but i had to get up like it was school, had my lunch packed, i had to wear a camp t-shirt, got on a cheese bus, had my backpack and some extra money for during the day. it was torture. i would have rathered sleep late and run around all day at home. But nooooo i had to go to camp.

I went for 2 years.

My children will in no way go to camp. I'll find something for them to do over the summer and it wont be camp

I started going to day camp when I was 4 and when I turned 10 I went to sleepaway camp also..I loved It!!! I went from the time I was 10 to I was 17...I used to pack my trunk in MArch I was so excited to go. You met people who lived in different states and always had counselors from foreign countries..My DH also went to sleepaway camp and when he was 7 my SIL and BIL went to visit him and ended being the youngest kids in camp the following summer...( they were 6)
edited to say: My camp was in NEW HAMPSHIRE!!! 8 hours by bus for 7 years

Jenn- to answer your question...I will sent my kids to camp.. but it is because my BIL is an associate Director of a sleepaway camp and might own one of his own.. so my kjids will be going to camp with their Uncle. and Future cousins...

Sara- what camp did you go to?

Yes, me and both my brothers went to camp for about 10 summers or so maybe.
We absolutley loved it. Everyone in my school went so I went with all my friends.
Crestwood for a few years and then we went on these teen tours when we got a little older where we would go all over the U.S..Man did we have fun.
I feel so lucky to have experienced that.
My son wants to go so we are going to start him at Crestwood this comming summer.
I was actually looking foward to him being with ME, but I know most of his class is going and I dont want to keep him home with me for sellfish reasons.

My siblings and I were never sent to camp, and I am thankful! I don't think I would have like it back then and I don't think that I'll be sending my children when they are old enough either.

We spent our summers mostly with family and friends. There were a lot of kids in the neighborhood - mostly just 14 little boys and me - and we'd play games like Hide-n-Seek, Running Bases, Wiffle Ball, Two Hand Touch Football (actually, the boys only played this way when I was playing too...when I wasn't around, it was Tackle Football all the way!).

But, there were a lot of times were I'd spend the entire day with my grandparents and great-grandparents. They lived right next door to each other in East Meadow. Actually, my story could sound a whole lot like Anna's, but without having to fly to Italy. We spent the entire morning with my great-grandfather in his vegetable garden, weeding the soil and tying up the tomato plants, picking the figs from the tree, picking the zucchini, the cucumbers, the parsley and basil. My great-grandfather would create garden art out of the scrubbery. He had such pride in his gardens. Then my grandmother would make us lunch and we'd play for hours. In the mid-afternoon, my great-grandparents would sit outside together in their cabana-like covered patio. I remember making ice cream cones and bringing my great-grandfather one of his favorite - butter pecan. I miss my great-grandparents so much...I was so lucky to have them and they added so much happiness to my life.

Oh, these are all such wonderful memories that I'm so grateful to have and I wouldn't trade them to have gone to camp.

I went to a sleep away camp for 2 months every summer from the age of 12. My parents wanted to make sure I was old enough to be able to handle the experience of being on my own (w/counselor supervision).

I studied dance and this camp allowed me to be surrounded by other ppl w/similar cultural interests. They sent me to Interlochen near Traverse City Michigan. It was so beautiful there, educational and fun, and I made life-long friendships. I cried at the end of every summer when I had to leave.

Before 12 my parents sent me for a week or so every summer to my grandma in Florida - it helped me get used to being away from them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that summer camp both day camp and esp. sleep-away is a really good thing for kids to enable them to meet other children (expand their horizons). I met kids from all over the world at my camp! Also I don't think I'm going to be the type of mother that (hope this doesn't offend) smothers my kids. I want them to be tiny little individuals - and not so needy of me i.e. able to think on their own and do things on their own.

I can understand why parents might not want to send their kids away to camp - but I really think it helped in a very positive way shape who I am.

It's amazing I still run into ppl I knew from camp in Manhattan!!!!