How did we get here??Latenite and overnight trips in day cam

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:44 pm

How did it become a normal thing for 8,9,10 year old kids to go on trips to water parks and come back at 11pm, 12am, 1am or 5am?? Why is it normal that they are watching videos from 4-6am in the day camp lunchroom? And this is all endorsed by supposedly responsible adults?

I get that from a pragmatic perspective day camps have to rent out watermarks on off hours if they want to make use of them, but why is it even considered an option at all? This makes no sense.

And why do I feel like I'm the only parent that's bothered by this? Everyone else seems to be happily sending their kids off with no misgivings. My 9yo belongs on bed at night, not gallivanting on water slides at midnight. But my hands are tied.

I'm not a grinch, I fargin my kids all the fun in the world, but for the love of God why can't it be done during normal waking hours?

amother

Lightgray

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:45 pm

amother OP wrote:

I'm not a first time mom - I have late teen kids and this has bothered me since my oldest were little and now my younger ones are doing the same. I agree with you 100%.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:47 pm

amother Lightgray wrote:

I'm not a first time mom - I have late teen kids and this has bothered me since my oldest were little and now my younger ones are doing the same. I agree with you 100%.

Aaaah I just can't. I'm not a first time mom either but the ages seem to be getting younger and the hours seem to be getting later and this isn't the type of thing that will ever stop bothering me. And the fact that the people running these things think this is a-ok... I can't even. Where is their seichel?

I offered my kid to pick him up whenever they arrive back to camp so at least he doesn't have to leave his drooping, exhausted little body on a sticky lunchroom floor and prop his eyelids open so he can lmaan hashem watch a Yiddish play and say he was up all night, but he declined Confused

amother

Sapphire ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:53 pm

We live in a world in which kids need constant entertainment. And excitement. I think it's insane. I purposely sent my going into kindergarten child to a back yard day camp because she doesn't need hoopla. She gets excited by decorating a crown for princess day.

amother

Kiwi ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:54 pm

Wow!! That does seem very late. I send my kids to a regular popular big day camp and they never get home that late. The latest is 10/10:15 when they have a water park late night (once a half usually on occasion twice a half). 10 and up have one sleepover a summer.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:56 pm

amother Sapphire wrote:

I put all my kids in backyard camps as long as I can get away with it. And to an extent, I get the over the top programs in day camps. I can wrap my mind around it, how the standard things get boring and they need to keep coming up with new thrills. But this is diffefent. Kids don't need this. They can't dream this up. It's after hours. It should be off limits. Nights are for sleeping. It's the adults *feeding* them these things. So wrong.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 4:58 pm

amother Kiwi wrote:

Assuming the 10 and up sleepover is a trip? Or are they just sleeping over in the building or what?

amother

↑ Kiwi

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

Assuming the 10 and up sleepover is a trip? Or are they just sleeping over in the building or what?

A trip. That's going into 5th grade and up. (While they do stay up late on it though, my son said by 1/1:30 everyone was sleeping - still really late but not an all nighter like your referring to... And it's just once a whole summer)

I'd be frustrated and upset in your place as well

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:07 pm

SYA wrote:

Maybe if camps joined together they could rent out the park during the day time? Do the parks do that?

As it is it's a bunch of camps together. I don't know why they can't rent out during the day.

amother

Plum ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:08 pm

The only time my kids have the opportunity to go to a Waterpark, is when they're in camp. I'm happy for them. It's not the end of the world that they come home late once in a while. We all survived it intact.

amother

↑ Plum ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:10 pm

SYA wrote:

Maybe if camps joined together they could rent out the park during the day time? Do the parks do that?

It already is afew camps renting the Waterpark out together. Parks generally only rent it out after hours. American Dream does rent out their Waterpark during the day, but it is extremely expensive, even afew camps together. And camps rather want outdoor parks.

mha3484 ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:12 pm

My boys in grades 3-8 go to the water park 2x. Once with school camp and once or some years 2x with day camp. The spend the whole year looking forward to this. All the schools and camps in my city rent it the same night and they come home soooo happy. 11 is usually the latest they get home. Ideally I wish it was 4th and up but I am happy they can enjoy themself in a kosher way.

amother

Vermilion

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:12 pm

I would not send my 9 year old to a camp that does this. My teenagers, possibly.

You have the option of asking a few camps what their trips look like, and send to the one that goes with your values.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:15 pm

mha3484 wrote:

I would be fine if they came home at 11. I still would rather stick to daylight hours, but I could get used to 11pm 2-3 times a summer.

Last year my 9yo came home at 2am. This year as a 10yo it's all night. Getting back to camp at 5am and pickup is at 8. Not ok.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:16 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

I would not send my 9 year old to a camp that does this. My teenagers, possibly.

You have the option of asking a few camps what their trips look like, and send to the one that goes with your values.

All the camps that my kids classmates attend do this, and I'm assuming it's all the camps in town as well (yes, lakewood). Some allow kids even younger than him to join the overnight trip.

amother

Almond ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:18 pm

Parks don’t allow it to be rented out during the day only on off hours. They aren’t willing to lose their daily money from the public. I do understand trips and it’s annoying but we deal with it. I don’t understand showing the movie the same night. That should be during the day in camp.

amother

Aconite

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:21 pm

amother OP wrote:

When I was in 2nd grade (around 15 years ago) my day camp went on a late night trip we got home 12 ish and parents had to pick up.. so it’s not a new thing

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 5:22 pm

amother Almond wrote:

My understanding is they can't have kids dropped off at home at unearthly hours, so they take them back to the camp building, and in order to keep them occupied until they can be bussed home, they put on a video for them.