Am I the only one?

amother

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:20 pm

This time of year always brings back memories of my years in sleep away camp. I hated it so much, but my parents pretty much forced me to go! I have social anxiety (although I didn’t realize this about myself at the time) and I was super homesick the whole time! It seems like everyone I talk to has the best memories of sleep away camp and girls are starting to go at such a young age! Did anyone else not like it besides for me??

amother

Dill

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:21 pm

For me it was a treat. I didn't get to go every year and I was left out. There wasn't enough money by the time I was of age. My sisters did get to go regularly.

amother

Obsidian

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:29 pm

Hated every minute of it and also forced to go for three seasons (the fourth season I I managed to convince them to let me take a job)
I don’t have social anxiety either. I work with people every day and I’m quite successful bh. I am just not the type to enjoy cheering and other camp activities and I had a warm and loving home with good food and every comfort. In camp I felt alone and unhappy

amother

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:43 pm

amother Obsidian wrote:

Thanks for sharing! This makes me feel better knowing that I was not the only one who didn’t enjoy it. I always felt like something seriously must be wrong with me because everyone else seems to love it so much!

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:48 pm

I didn't love camp buy didn't hate it either. I was sometimes miserable & sometimes happy. I went from 5th grade. My father had a job in a boys camp that didn't allow girls above bas mitzva on ground, so there wasn't much of a choice. Though I hated being in the bungalow more than I disliked camp, I guess it was the lesser of the evils.
I don't make my kids go to camp. I personally would rather they don't go to camp but I leave the decision up to them.

amother

Hyacinth

Mon, Jun 24 2024, 11:55 pm

I hated camp!
Went 2 summers, not consecutively.
I definitely have social anxiety. It could be that was why.

amother

Moccasin

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 12:06 am

Hated it. Parents didn’t force me, I had wanted to. I felt like I went too late, when everyone already all their camp friends and knew all the camp songs and everything…it was hard to break in. And I’m also an introvert and did not do well at all. I’m also more intellectual, bookish type and did not understand why people enjoyed standing on benches screeching their heads off. I cried every night. But I don’t regret it because I actually became really close to Hashem that summer, He was the only one I could talk to!

amother

Narcissus

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 12:14 am

I hated it. Didn’t know at 11 years old but I’m a huge introvert and the whole experience was sensory overload from beginning to end.
I went 3 summers, didn’t feel forced cuz everyone was going and I wouldn’t have had what to do if I was home but I stopped going going into HS and I was much happier working locally

Elfrida

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 12:24 am

In England there was never a concept of going to camp, but the more I read about American camps, the more I'm relieved that I never had to go. I don't think I'd have enjoyed it at all.

amother

Sand

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 12:26 am

Elfrida wrote:

In England there was never a concept of going to camp, but the more I read about American camps, the more I'm relieved that I never had to go. I don't think I'd have enjoyed it at all.

Boarding school instead 😄

amother

Tangerine

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 12:50 am

I get so triggered every year .

I don’t have social anxiety, but my mother was not in the know and insisted on doing my shopping. I always had the ‘wrong’ clothes which put me at a huge social disadvantage. More than once I overheard nasty comments about me wearing hand me downs .

Camp was brutal and cliquey and I was so miserable. I used to cry myself to sleep. But my parents were so sincerely excited for me to go to this camp that had such an amazing reputation. I didn’t want to let them down .

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 5:08 am

I never liked camp much. I didn't grow up in the States so camp for two months was not a thing. It was maximum two weeks. I hated having a sore throat basically from the first day until we got home. I didn't like functioning on no sleep and the year I saw mice scampering across the dining room floor was the year I was done with camp. All that being said, there were some fun times, but not fun enough to make me go back. All in all I went about three times from fourth grade on. I went back one year as a counsellor after high school and didn't particularly care for that either.

amother

Leaf

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 6:49 am

I liked it dreaded getting up early and forced activities, but looking back I had lots more to do and socializing then staying at home.

My sister who hated it and didn’t go to seminary in Israel. Was much more of a homesick type, is very social just likes her comforts, routine, BH she’s happily married lives right near my parents. My mom babysits for her kids all the time.

amother

DarkGray

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 7:06 am

Elfrida wrote:

In England there was never a concept of going to camp, but the more I read about American camps, the more I'm relieved that I never had to go. I don't think I'd have enjoyed it at all.

Bnei Akiva machaneh - 2 weeks in the summer - I hated it, I was shy, nerdy and not popular. I had a few other nerdy friends, but didn't enjoy at all.
Years later I found out that my sister hated it too!

Surprisingly, I absolutely loved my year in seminary.
I came not knowing anyone, and was a different person. Best year!

Elfrida

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 7:15 am

amother DarkGray wrote:

My sisters went and loved it, but I was boring and quiet, and never got involved in Bnei Akiva, so machaneh never really came up. My mother was worried that I would be missing out, but I didn't feel that I was missing anything.

amother

DarkGray

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 7:19 am

Elfrida wrote:

I wasn't forced to go. I think I kind of thought I wanted to go.
Just looking back, I see that I didn't enjoy.

Lucky Princess

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 7:26 am

Hated hated camp. Was forced to go and I dont force my kids. Hated that I didn't have my space. Too crowded bunks. Bad memories.

Chayalle

Tue, Jun 25 2024, 7:44 am

I never went to camp and was dying to go. My parents couldn't afford it back then (my younger siblings did go.) All of my girls went to camp and loved it. I think I would have too - it's a personality thing. I definitely don't force them (boy what it would save me in $$$ if they didn't go LOL....) DH takes on extra tutoring in downtime he doesn't have to pay for camp for the girls.