How does anyone afford camp?

↑ notshanarishona ↓

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 7:57 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

It depends where you're coming from.
In smaller communities, there are fewer friends to have and it's harder socially to find someone to be really close with if your dozen or so classmates are not the right fit.
For my girls, it's an absolute must to spread their social network.

That’s true for real out of towners (from places like Cincinatti, Dayton, Columbus, Savana , Chesterfield where there are only a limited social situations) , not for most people in more standard sized city (ie Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto, LA, etc ) . But then again, I grew up in Atlanta (can’t get too much much more oot than that) and managed with only going to camp 1 year. The other years I worked either locally or went to bungalow colonies as staff.

amother

White

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 8:27 pm

Orangehead wrote:

I grew up very simply. The only think that really devastated me is that I never went to camp.
People ask, “what camp did you go to?” As if it’s a given. Besides for the fact I really is wanted to go, it was quite embarrassing as well.

And I hated camp! But I went because it was what everyone did. I look back at those years and I wish I’d had the guts to stay home.

↑ mha3484

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 8:36 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

In Chicago there was no day camp for girls entering 7th until someone started one last summer but no guarantee she does it again. And it was just 1st half so still left a lot of weeks to do nothing after its over there are only so many jobs for a girl that age its not simple to just say camp is a waste of money.

amother

Powderblue

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 8:38 pm

I couldn't afford either, I got local scholarships and bh it helped with most of camp. Reach out to people in your community and find out what is available. My kids worked one half and went to camp the second which also helped. Some camps have their own internal scholarship programs as well so do your research. Also, some camps let the girls do mothers helper part of the time and then the price gets reduced even more.

There are ways to do it you just have to ask around and be creative. getting the scholarships took a lot of work and a lot of phone calls so it's not so easy you have to be persistent and it takes a lot of time to figure out and each community has different ones.

↑ notshanarishona

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 8:40 pm

mha3484 wrote:

A 7th grader can be a mother’s helper, jr counselor for preschool, or go places with her family. Look I have a daughter similar age, she would love to go to camp, but it’s completely out of the picture. When enough people decide it’s not an option, then there are enough girls to come up with something

amother

Lemon

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 9:41 pm

Get scholarships

Your local Jewish federation may have one for sleepaway camp.
Your local askan may have a camp fund.

I know it doesn't feel good, it feels like Taking tzedaka, but I think it's very important for the girls.

Also, some Camps allow the girls to be mother's helper. Ask the camp yiu are interested in. Some only allow 11 graders. It could cut 1k off the price. Maybe even 2k!

amother

Ultramarine

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 10:30 pm

amother OP wrote:

Interesting. I don’t know if those things are included. But still, $3,000 is a lot.

It really sounds like people are pinching every penny because camp is a priority. Are we terrible parents if we don’t think camp is a priority? I don’t want to skimp on all the conveniences and fun things for a year for 4 weeks of camp. We will sometimes take out a pizza if it’s been a rough day. Take the kids out for ice cream on Sunday. Buy them something they don’t need but really want. Maybe we can afford camp if we get rid of all these things. But I don’t know if that’s right for our family.

Also, food for thought: some kids do not like camp after all. They think they will, and then they have a terrible time. And all that money is wasted.

ysydmom

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 10:43 pm

amother Ultramarine wrote:

Also, food for thought: some kids do not like camp after all. They think they will, and then they have a terrible time. And all that money is wasted.

it's not wasted it's a learning experience and as we know everything happens for a reason. When our family spends money on something that doesn't work out the way we thing we say gam zu letovah at least we know for next time what we like and what we don't.

How do you know if you will or won't like something unless you try it first . . . it's like ordering a new dish or trying a new recipe. Also, you probably know your child by now, have they ever gone on sleep overs before? do they like sleep overs not like sleep overs? did they ever sleep by family how did they react? did they call every few minutes or were they able to get through the night/day with one or two phone calls home? I highly recommend trying safe sleep overs before signing up for a month at camp. You can get a feel for what your child can or can't handle. How does your child react when coming home from friends houses on Shabbos/Sunday or a random playdate?

Do they get along with others easily or do they have a harder time? Does your child run to their room when you have guests or do they sit at the table/share toys with guests?

If you take a look at how they react now you can pretty much see if camp would be a good fit. Even if your child acclimates well to sleep overs and random playdates it doesn't mean they will like camp but it's a good place to start.

Also, try speaking to your child about camp and why they want to go what they hope to do in camp before you just sign them up because everyone else is signing up. Tell them fun stories about camp and the things others have done in camp. Describe what it is like and see what they say.

amother

Burntblack ↓

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 10:46 pm

We are on a very tight budget, but from what I have heard from mechanchim, camp is very very important, and something to be prioritized. So we do.

It's not necessary to start very young though.
You can wait till a certain age, such as going into 9th grade, and that saves a lot of money, but they still have a few years to get the camp experience.

Many kids work the other half and it goes toward camp, even though its such a small percentage of the amount. if your dd is old enough to make her own backyard camp the other half, that will pay much more.

amother

↑ Burntblack

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 10:54 pm

amother IndianRed wrote:

Additionally, shopping for camp is not so different than shopping for whatever she’ll need if at home. The basic clothing needs are the same.

Have you sent girls to camp recently? I had to pay HUNDREDS to get enough (basic, cheap) tops and skirts, socks, etc to last close to two weeks. At home, I wash clothes at least once a week.

seeker

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 11:38 pm

amother IndianRed wrote:

I’m not sure what type of camp your looking into. My daughters camp includes canteen and tips in the camp tuition. There are no separate fees.

Things they “need”? Like a tutu and a belt bag? Nothing crazy expensive in my experience but you should probably speak to parents in the camp your daughter wants to go to and see what the standards are like so you can get an idea of what needs you might be expected to fill if you chose to send her.

Long thread and I didn't finish reading so forgive me if this was answered, but what camp includes tips and canteen in the cost? I would love that but never saw it done.

My camp strategy: I hold off when they're younger, and then they can go for one half when they're old enough to not need day camp the other half (dd worked as an assistant in a day camp the other half and is hoping for a mother's helper job next year.) Camp is still more expensive but one half of sleepaway camp is not outrageously more expensive than two halves of day camp where I live. It's more, but not like paying for both halves sleepaway or one half of each.

The camp I send to is not the cheapest (I hear those are impossible to get into) but doesn't attract a high maintenance crowd so I'm able to budget in other areas (less stuff shopping, have her ration her canteen money). Grandparents often contribute to spending/canteen money. The tipping didn't feel too crazy - two counselors and a waitress, I think? For my day camper I was instructed to tip the counselors, jc, lifeguard, various specialties, and even once the head counselors (isn't that supposed to be the job with an actual salary?!) So the sleep away tipping didn't really hurt.

I suspect a lot of my daughters' friends in the low maintenance camp were getting discounts as chinuch/Kollel families or maybe for having multiple children there at once.

But yeah it's a lot. Even with these coping strategies, it's a lot. Would be great if there were more help out there somehow.

amother

Wheat

Sun, Nov 19 2023, 11:58 pm

We're from very OOT and there is no daycamp after 4th grade. I kept my DD home a few years but it was really not good for her.
I see sleepaway camp as a necessary expense. It's not something I have a choice about. For my DDs emotional wellbeing and ruchnius it's a necessity and part of my choice of living OOT. I pay it out over a few months and the past few years I've kept my younger kids home and done Mommy camp to save an enormous amount of money
Everyone has different priorities in how they spend their summers