Sleep-away camp? How young? How long? How did they do?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Both of my girls (10 and 7) want to go to a week of (all-girls) sleep-away camp this summer. It's a short session--just one week--designed to acclimate younger campers so they can attend the longer session in following summers. The price is good, and I always desperately wanted to go to summer camp as a kid, so I'd love to do this for them. But it also feels kind of crazy, sending them away like that!

 

Do you do sleep-away camp? If you do and your younger kids went, how did they do? Is a week a good intro, or is it not really enough time to see how they'd do? Any other thoughts?

[Amy in NH]

I know tons of people send their young children, but I don't feel comfortable sending mine before they are 11ish.

 

When they were younger, we used to go as a family.

[Cera]

My girls are in first and third grade this year and will be going to a week of sleep away girl scout camp. I went as a child and loved it and they are both incredibly excited to go. I have researched thoroughly and feel very comfortable with my decision.

[Ellie]

My dds went to several residential camps, and all were good experiences for them. I think older dd was 10ish the first time she went, younger dd maybe 9.

[EKS]

I was 9 when I went to camp for the first time and my younger son was also 9. In my case, I went with a friend as was fine. In his case, he didn't know anyone and was somewhat homesick.

[Belacqua]

Ours went to a 3-week camp (CTY) in another state when he was 10. It was a very positive experience, and he's gone to at least one summer program every year since.

 

The most difficult part, really, was everybody asking how I was handling it. I felt kind of guilty to admit that it was great! The kid was fine and gaining independence, and I had some time alone with my husband. Good all around.

[Dory]

My kids all go to a church based squirt camp when they are 6. It lasts 4 days and I know many of the people that work there. It has been an awesome experience for them. My Oldest son moved to a bigger camp last year and now he stays for a whole week. That was a little harder for him but he still really enjoyed it. They talk about it enough that my youngest has been begging to go for the last two years.

[amyrobynne]

My 8yo son went to YMCA boys' camp for a week in 2012. He is an introvert who isn't into sports. My SIL and niece (age 2.5) were there for the week -- she volunteered as camp nurse-- and that also gave us very discounted tuition. Peter drove up with her a day early and I think it was good for him to walk around and see it while it was still quiet. He LOVED it. I brought our 6 year old when I came to pick them up and he says he wants to go next year too. He's our wiggliest and only extrovert -- I think it'll be great for him at almost 7.5. My hope is that in 2013, we can send them both for a week and probably send Peter for 2 weeks at age 10. My husband, his sister, and his aunt and uncle have all attended this camp and my SIL knows most of the staff, which makes me more comfortable. Our kids rarely are away from us overnight, and that's just with grandparents.

 

Personally, I did daycamp at 7, 3 day Girl Scout away camp at 8, 6 day GS camp at age 9, 6 day Swedish camp at age 10, 2 week Swedish camp at ages 11, 12, and 13, 4 week Swedish camp at 14, and 4 week math camp at an out-of-state college at age 16. I'm an introvert like my oldest and making friends has always been hard for me, but I enjoyed the small specialized camps where everyone knew each other.

[NotSoObvious]

Mine did a week of Girl Scout camp at almost 9, then at almost 10. They had a ball, but they don't get homesick easily. I could have never done it at that age and I wouldn't have sent them if they hadn't begged to go.

[speedmom4]

My dds went to a week of away camp when they were in middle school. I was a bit nervous before that and I think they would have been homesick. My youngest ds desperately wants to go Boy Scout camp next summer but he will only be 11 and I'm a worry wart.

 

Elise in NC

[fourisenough]

My girls have done a wonderful sleepover camp for 1 week each summer, beginning around age 7. The oldest 'ages out' this year and she is sad. For the first time, two cousins will be joining my girls this summer. They can't wait. Some of my best childhood memories are from the various camps I attended (church, girl scouts, sports camp, and youth missions trips in high school).

[TranquilMind]

I know tons of people send their young children, but I don't feel comfortable sending mine before they are 11ish.

 

When they were younger, we used to go as a family.

 

Same here. I'd have to really know people extremely well in order to send anyone under 12 or 13. Extremely well.

[CyndiLJ]

Ours were 7/8, went alone to church camp, and had a blast. I realized it was really me who would be stopping them, not their own fear...so I let them go and am glad we did. It is a cherished time every summer for each of our kids.

[rutamattatt]

We did our first sleep away camps this year. DD went away for a week (which was a lot in our specific situation), and did great. LOVED it. She went with a very close friend and I knew the camp staff very well and they we aware of some special needs that might arise for our DD.

 

Both DSs went to church camp as well, but for their age groups (10 and 8) it was only two nights, three days. I was a wreck that my youngest wouldn't do well, but again - he loved it! (Oldest DS is a social guy and I figured he would enjoy it as well.) Again, some of our closest family friends were on staff which helped in our decision making process.

 

I realized that much of my hesitation was my own fears sleeping away from home as a child, and although it was fairly nerve racking for me, it was a great experience for my kids. But every family and every child is different! You know your children best.

[anabelneri]

I went to residential YMCA camp for a week each summer starting at 7yo & loved it every year. I was also a camp counselor for 4 years after I got too old to be a camper. I'm an introvert in general but I love love loved it every year.

 

My just-turned 9yo went to residential YMCA camp this summer for the first time. She stayed a whole 2 weeks and had a fabulous time. She asked to go back next summer as soon as she arrived home, and continues to ask periodically.

 

When I was a counselor I worked most often with the youngest girls, ages 8 to 10yo. Sometimes some would have trouble being away from home, but most didn't. The worst times were over holidays -- the week that contained July 4th was inevitably an extremely challenging week for all the little girls. If you can avoid that week, do, by all means. Also, if I had a camper who had had a recent traumatic experience (divorce, death in the family, etc), we were in for a hard time. The poor child needed to be home more than at camp. But almost all the girls had very little homesickness, and generally had a great time the whole week. The boys were another story; I would chat with their counselors, and the 8 & 9yo boys had a lot more homesickness than we experienced with the girls. I probably wouldn't send my son until he is closer to 10, unless I had good reason to feel that he could handle it.

 

A week is a good length; fairly typical at many camps. I wouldn't hesitate if your girls are excited & you're excited for them. Even my homesick girls started doing better about the 3rd night into the week (nights are harder than days, by far), and almost everyone was sorry to see the week end.

 

If it would help you, you could inquire about the camp's hiring policies. We always had background checks each summer, as well as standard references, etc. You can also ask about camp policies about issues that you feel uncomfortable about. A good camp will certainly have rules set for the campers for their safety, and other rules for the counselors for everyone's safety. My camp's office staff was always willing to answer questions, and nowadays they'll likely also have basic paperwork available electronically that they could email you.

 

Camp is awesome! Love it love it love it!

:)

[alisoncooks]

My 6 yo went to a 2-night beginner's camp (the same church camp that I grew up going to). I was welcome to stay as a counselor/room mom, but Miss Independent didn't want me there. I knew the Camp Director and several staff (including the mom in her room) but I was still apprehensive about leaving her.

 

She was fine and had a blast.

I was glad to get her home. :p

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Thank you, everyone. We're still kicking around ideas, and it's possible that DD10 will end up at Girl Scout camp instead of the one farther away. I'm not sure if that's better or worse, since it's a slightly longer session at a local overnight camp, and ultimately she wants to attend the three-week arts track at the farther camp anyway. But it's a lot cheaper, that's for sure! DD7 is too young for the GS camp, but that may be a good thing, and I've promised her lots of fun stuff and her own sleepover if her big sister does go away for a week.

 

I appreciate all the input!

[higginszoo]

I tried to send my 7 year old to a 4 day, 3 night Girl Scout camp the past two years (ages 6 and 7). Apparently, it isn't a popular option because neither time met the minimum number of girls, so the camp didn't happen. My older dd would have been there at a week-long camp, and they would have seen each other for meals and camp-wide activities.

 

My older two each went to a 3 night camp with their magnet school class at the end of third grade. The camp was owned/run by the school district and their regular classroom teacher was their main counselor. That was a great introduction to sleep-away camp for each of them. From there, they moved to regular scout camp --- older dd when she was 9 and the boys, who are a bit more sensitive, when they were 11. In all of those cases, it was a week-long camp an hour away. Dd didn't have a great experience that first year, but we switched camps and she loved it when she was 10.

[swellmomma]

My kids do a week away most summers. Ds9 was supposed to have his first when he was 7 almost 8 but he broke his leg the day before camp started (we were at family camp, so the day his camp started we would have just left him behind because it was the same place, family camp ended at 11 am and kids camp started at 5pm, so we would leave at 5 instead of 11). THis year he is headed to the mountains for a weeklong spring break camp. The others move up to 2 week long camps this summer, now that they are teens and in cadets this summer their camp is 2 weeks long (by the time they finish cadets at 18 their summer camp will be 6 weeks long). They have all done shorter camps (2 nights) with scouting/guides/church group before I looked at the weeklong ones.

[Dmmetler]

I'm considering this as well-we just went to the Huntsville Space center, and DD is infatuated with the idea of Space Camp. I know going to summer programs/camps with kids who shared my passions and intensity was a big deal for me (a really big deal-I met my husband at one!) but at the same time, Space camp seems like a kind of big bite to chew for a kid who's only been away from both parents for one single night so far in her life. However, I had pretty awful experiences at more generic camps, and I suspect DD would as well, so I'm not sure what I can give her as a first "step away", either.