How is camp good and not good for the kid?

amother

Aconite ↓

Tue, Jul 26 2022, 6:38 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Weighing pros and cons....

this may sound super wierd. I wish my Israeli husband had gone to an American camp with the
mud, the rain, the mold, the severe weather changes and being two hours away from home without being able to catch an Egged or Dan. and not having home suppers for two months.

amother

Catmint

Tue, Jul 26 2022, 6:45 pm

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

Yes, she did want to go. She went last year. As it was getting closer she was remembering what seemed to be a nightmare last year- finding and schlepping her luggage in the pouring rain on the first day, waiting for the shower and just when she turned on the water someone started pounding that it was really her turn, not being able to find her bunk after she went to the nurse, not having linen to sleep on the last night because they were told to send in their luggage the night before they came home…. Hopefully.. I’m really hoping that the good times will outweigh the more difficult times. I’m hoping she will come home with good memories and good friends and it will all be worth it. I’m a mother. I worry. I don’t tell her all this. I tell her she’ll be fine and everything will work out. I tell her we’ll miss her and we can’t wait till visiting day.

While those experiences are tough an unpleasant, they have taught your daughter endurance and built her character.

amother

Eggshell

Tue, Jul 26 2022, 8:55 pm

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

No calling home sounds like camp sternberg!

They finally changed their no calling home policy this summer!!! Kinda torn on whether I think it’s a good change or not…

salt ↓

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 4:31 am

amother [ Aconite ] wrote:

Was he not in the army, or even away from home in yeshiva?

amother

Lightcoral

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 4:59 am

My child went to a great camp. Top one for that grade. One staff member had the power get to her head and my child had a miserable summer. This Head staff bullied my child publicly and that showed others to do the same. The following summer while all her friends went to a traveling camp she stayed home after that staff member gave a negative report to the traveling camp. The effect it had on my child was far reaching. During the following school year dc was repeatedly bullied. We are still dealing with the after effects.

My older child went to the same camps and had a great time. Made friends and really enjoyed the summers at camp.

amother

↑ Cerulean

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 5:03 am

amother [ Lightcoral ] wrote:

Wow… that’s so, so sad

amother

Snow

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 5:19 am

amother [ Lightcoral ] wrote:

That's so sad.
I was bullied in high school by someone who used to run a travelling camp, and now runs a major daycamp, in the town I grew up in. I have two siblings who worked in that camp and were not treated right (and left to places that appreciate them.) I can't understand how anyone would trust this person with their kids. (No, she hasn't changed/grown up).

I think it's so important to find out the character of those in charge. I'm so sad for your child.

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 6:39 am

salt wrote:

Was he not in the army, or even away from home in yeshiva?

in Israel it doesnt matter much.
the windows of the dorm are open for fresh air, all year.
there is an egged bus home to eat mammas delicious cake and/or see a doctor with mamma.
there is a 10 minute dan bus to eat dinner at big sisters house.
The jewish is calendar is full of special shabbosim and yomim tovim to escape home for a day or two....

he finally realized that our children have struggles, painful ones, difficult ones and scary ones...

amother

↑ Aconite

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 6:43 am

amother [ Lightcoral ] wrote:

sounds like your talking about my child...

BUT ALSO, THE EFFECT ON THE PARENTS ARE FAR REACHING, TOO.
PARENTS ARE NEVER THE SAME.
I contact every teacher, Rebbe several times at the beginning of the year to get a feel of things.
may hashem send healing for her (and your) broken heart.

amother

Maize

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 9:02 am

OP I can totally empathize with your post. I sent my daughter to camp in July and literally thought I would not sleep for a full month. For the first few days I told my husband again and again that I don't know why I sent her, this is the craziest thing, who came up with this, etc etc. Then she started calling home and telling me that she was having a great time. While I wanted to believe her, a part of me worried that she was just "saying that" and I would hear the full story when she came home. She just came home this week, and I can tell you unequivocally that she had the most amazing time. She cannot wait to go back and would probably repack her suitcase today if she had the option. We BH have a very fun, happy, comfortable home but there's something magical about camp that pulls them.. I hope the same for you and your daughter!!!

amother

Buttercup

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 9:53 am

My 14 year old daughter loves camp. This is already her 4th year going to camp. We started with 1 month the first year but now she goes a full summer. It's a great experience for her. Where we live, all the day camps are located in school buildings with very little grounds and the girls spend their days going from art to baking to dance and DD was longing for sports and being outdoors. She loves being able to walk around the lake in her free time and she has made good friends from all over. She's my oldest and then I have a big gap to the next child and I rely on DD a lot at home. Sleepaway camp is a good break for her and a reminder to me that I can manage on my own even if if she is around.

ETA: Camp definitely encourages both independence and working together as a group. The first year it was a real pain to get DD ready for camp. We had to buy a lot more stuff than usual and label everything. Nowadays DD writes up her own list, checks over what she already has and decides what she still needs. I help her order stuff online and/or take her shopping, but she labels everything herself and organizes all her stuff. I just have to help her pack so it all fits.

And on that note, I'm off to email DD.

↑ salt

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 10:08 pm

amother [ Aconite ] wrote:

I'm sorry, sounds like you and your kids are having a hard time with something.
But I would say that in general I believe Israeli kids are well adjusted and independent.

amother

Chicory

Wed, Jul 27 2022, 11:27 pm

The smaller the children, the harder it is, because they will miss their home more.

Camp can be hard for children when they feel left out, for one reason or another: because many children there already knew each other, because some children acting like "leaders" leave them out, etc.

Also, it's not easy to cope with missing the parents.

However, if the day is filled with structured activities, there is less time to feel left out or to miss parents. That's why I understand camps themed around an activity (sports, music, hiking, camping, discovering nature etc.), but I don't really understand the necessity of camps just for camps' sake.