Camp must haves- Insanity

Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:40 am

OP if you want simple and wholesome, you have to start by being that way yourself.
And don't be afraid to say no to your teen.
I do find that I'm spending plenty (I ordered a bunch of sleepwear for her on Shein, and even that adds up....same for denim skirts, tees, etc...) but a fraction of what I'd spend if I was a keep-up-with-the-Klein's type.
I am not buying designer/expensive - no hardtail, lululemon, etc...and I believe it's healthy for my teen to know that we stay within a budget.

amother

↑ Kiwi ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:47 am

amother Aconite wrote:

I'm not kiwi but I understood her comment to me about "we don't must send -stuff- to camp movement"
I might be wrong though.
I'm from UK too and this way is definitely easier on the parents and the children too. By the end of even 6 weeks my children are more than ready to fo back to school.

I didn't mean that, though that's a good idea too. I didn't either mean that nobody should go camp. Just that it shouldn't have to be a universal right of passage. It's not a healthy set up and not done anywhere else in the world.

I'm happy to help my teen figure out some structure. I wish they could
Get a job
Take some courses
Take a family vacation
Maybe go to camp for 2 weeks?
Play a sport
Hang with friends
Make some art
Go on day trips
Plant and tend a garden
Go walking and hiking

PinkFridge ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:52 am

amother Kiwi wrote:

I’m ready to start a we don’t must send to camp movement.

It's not we must not send our kids to camp movement, it's an our kids don't need xyz for camp movement.

↑ PinkFridge ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:53 am

Ruchi wrote:

Copy the system we have here in Stamford Hill, UK.
5 weeks vacation for the girls and 3 for the boys.
Families go away for 2 weeks, daycamp and sleep away camp are also for two weeks.
There are 2 weeks vacation in the winter plus a day off when its "Half Term", which is a few times a year.

This system is less pressure and more cost effective for the parents compared to the vacation system in the States.

It's not going to happen on a national basis.
And kids will still go to camp. Just for 2 or 3 week trips.

↑ PinkFridge ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:55 am

BaltoMom65 wrote:

Summer jobs is what every teen did until just recently

No. They worked half a summer and went to camp half a summer. That's been going on for decades.

amother

Oxfordblue ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:55 am

amother Kiwi wrote:

I’m ready to start a we don’t must send to camp movement.

Why would I want to deprive my kid of childhood fun? Who is doing anything because of “must”? I send happily I think it’s an amazing part of childhood.

↑ PinkFridge ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:55 am

Chayalle wrote:

It's more than just clothes though, isn't it?

Ema of 5 ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 7:58 am

amother Coffee wrote:

And what's wrong with sending to camp if you can afford it? What else should girls do? It's the ridiculous things kids think they need to have in order to go to camp. I do not fall for most of them. I pick a few small things that I let them have.

It’s not just things they think they need, it’s things the camps put on the packing lists as well. (Just making this up) You want my daughter to have 3 tutus for night activity? Provide them! 2-3 bathing suits is perfect, you don’t need more than that. They don’t need sneakers, shoes, pool shoes, indoor slippers, outdoor slippers….

amother

↑ Oxfordblue ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:04 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

Maybe summer camps should have uniforms or strict dress codes.

Can’t we just live a little? Why does everything need rules. It’s too much. Those who can’t say no to kids about some items or those who are bitter should work on themselves. It’s not kindergarten we don’t need to even steven everything.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:05 am

PinkFridge wrote:

It's more than just clothes though, isn't it?

Yes, and you need to set limits there too. I remember when my friend, some years back (with my big girls) informed me that I "must" buy my girls a $30 shower caddy for camp (her daughters went to a different one than mine did). I was told it's the "must have" item. Uh, we found something serviceable in the dollar store.

I did buy my daughter a camp chair (her big sisters - who never told me it was a "thing" - are gasping in shock) at Walmart, but when she told me about a certain type of cup that "girls are getting" I told her there are plenty of cups in the dollar store.....

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:06 am

Ruchi wrote:

This is a whole separate topic, but I wish the IS (and specifically Jewish schools, obviously) would adapt a 12 month school year system. I think the model is 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off. That might need to be tweaked a little for the Jewish schools because of the chagim, but it can be worked out. If this was the system across the US, jobs/schools/day care would have to work with parents. Meaning perhaps there would be more in between options. Perhaps vacation time could be adjusted. It would also solve the “different vacation schedules for different kids” issue because everyone would be on the same schedule. It would also eliminate wasted time for review after prolonged vacations.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:06 am

amother Oxfordblue wrote:

I agree, it's not about rules. I'm okay with my daughter knowing that my bank account, home rules, limits, etc...do not have to match whatever other girls' parents can afford and might be doing. And learning to live with it.

↑ chanatron1000

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:08 am

amother Oxfordblue wrote:

It's not about jealousy. Can we stop pretending people don't look down on those who don't conform?

↑ Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:08 am

BaltoMom65 wrote:

Summer jobs is what every teen did until just recently

Define recently. I'm in my upper 40's, and back in my day, all my friends went to sleepaway camp for at least half a summer.
And my mother AH went for the full summer, every year from the age of 5, till and including the summer she was engaged to my father.

amother

↑ Oxfordblue

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:09 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

It's not about jealousy. Can we stop pretending people don't look down on those who don't conform?

You can’t live your life in fear of those people. And making rules to get out of dealing with it is not the answer. There are always snobs and judgy people. You need to not let them rule your life.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:09 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

It's not about jealousy. Can we stop pretending people don't look down on those who don't conform?

The question is more about your own confidence than how others perceive you.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Wed, May 03 2023, 8:17 am

chanatron1000 wrote:

Maybe summer camps should have uniforms or strict dress codes.

The uniforms would end up being more expensive than the clothes I'm buying her.
And they have dress codes.