March 19th, 2010 | 
Author: Summer camp is the compromise between a family vacation, an educational outing and a full-time babysitter. Is your child ready for summer camp this year? Are you?
Summer … Finally!
When the bell rings for the final summer day, children leave schools in droves. Some look forward to family vacations while others exchange phone numbers for weekday play dates.
Parents view summer with mixed emotions: it’s great to have the kids home, but the work schedule does not stop during summer vacation. Summer school programs have been cut in many states and babysitters and daycare programs are costly. What’s a parent to do?
Summer Camps … By the Numbers
The American Camping Association (1) suggests that there are in excess of 12,000 camps in the U.S. This includes day camps and also multi-day resident camps. Camps run by religious organizations have a decidedly spiritual theme, while secular camps stress outdoor fun and in some cases also feature survival training.
Pros and Cons of Sending a Child to Summer Camp
The quality of the camp and staff greatly impact the overall experience of a child. There are a few pros and cons of sending a child to summer camp that are outside the realm of staffing.
Pros:
- Children’s understanding of community living is enhanced by lessons in fairness, turn-taking, chore sharing and also caring for campers who might be on the younger end of the age spectrum.
- Kids learn to function as part of a team that is different from a family unit. Rule enforcement relies on respect for authority that is not parental. This heightens a sense of personal responsibility as opposed to walking in step because the parents “said so.”
- Children (who may naturally be shy) now have the opportunity to shine thrust upon them. Skilled camp counselors apportion positions of responsibility and leadership; they work diligently to include wall flowers. A child, who – at home or at school – is pegged to be shy and unlikely to participate, starts with a clean slate and may gain the confidence needed to come out of her shell.
Cons:
- Co-ed summer camps are great for children of preteen age or younger, but for older kids there is a good chance that budding hormones and the realization that the opposite sex is no longer ‘yuck’ mars the experience. Girls who thus far enjoyed participating in water splashing wars are now afraid of messing up their hair; boys who enjoyed making necklaces suddenly are too cool for crafts.
- The presence of the opposite gender has the potential to hamper summer enjoyment.
Wilderness camps in areas known for their fire danger leave parents worrying during wildfire season. Campfires are curtailed, which ruins the fun of a lot of young campers. - Multi-week camps are rough on younger kids and also families, who may not be ready to be apart from their children for extended periods of time.
(1) American Camping Association. “Trend Fact Sheet” (accessed March 19, 2010)
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