Do your kids attend a sleep away summer camp?

[FlightlessDuck]

Man, my office sure is dusty this morning -- or is the pollen count high?

To be fair, I think Grandma starting to teach our daughter piano might have happened before the yearly trips started. It's been 15 years, I don't remember

 

[soccerdad72]

Cheer camps can be expensive (sorry, dead giveaway with the Summit rant and that her friend's name is Susie, the popular, non-so-nice generic name used for helicoptered children in the cheer world.) What are your child's aspirations? Is she on a world's team? Does she aspire to be on one? If her coach is one of the coaches at the camp, that $2,000 would go a long way and would probably more productive using it for privates with him. And then pick a local camp to get the camp experience.

Did I miss something? The OP never mentioned cheer, did she? All she's said was that it was an 'elite action sports camp' (whatever the heck that is?).

 

[robinb]

Did I miss something? The OP never mentioned cheer, did she? All she's said was that it was an 'elite action sports camp' (whatever the heck that is?).

I admit that I was curious as to the sport and looked at some of the OP's previous posts and figured out it was probably cheer leading too. The DIS has a history of looking down on cheer leading as a sport so I'm not surprised she kept it under wraps. Enough people had a problem with the "elite" part, I'm sure the thread would have been much worse if she mentioned it was for a sport that a lot of people don't consider to be valid.

 

[DawnM]

Cheer camps can be expensive (sorry, dead giveaway with the Summit rant and that her friend's name is Susie, the popular, non-so-nice generic name used for helicoptered children in the cheer world.) What are your child's aspirations? Is she on a world's team? Does she aspire to be on one? If her coach is one of the coaches at the camp, that $2,000 would go a long way and would probably more productive using it for privates with him. And then pick a local camp to get the camp experience.

Interesting! I have all boys. I had no idea.

 

[NotUrsula]

I guess you're SOL in the cheer world if your name really IS Susie?

(I know a fair number of real Susie's that age; traditional names are popular around here.)

 

[powellrj]

Keep in mind, it's only worthwhile if it's got a #.

#campgrandma

 

[cabanafrau]

#campgrandma

You might want to consult Soldier's Sweeties. If you want it to trend on the Twitter it's gotta have pizzazz. If it isn't trending, what's the point?

Note: I highly doubt use of the word pizzazz is trendy enough for the Twitter. I only claim to be a PR consultant, not a creative one.

 

[powellrj]

You might want to consult Soldier's Sweeties. If you want it to trend on the Twitter it's gotta have pizzazz. If it isn't trending, what's the point?

Note: I highly doubt use of the word pizzazz is trendy enough for the Twitter. I only claim to be a PR consultant, not a creative one.

Can I plead old person? I have a Twitter account, but I am a Twitter reader more than a poster. I will have to start reading soldier’s sweeties to see how it’s done right!

 

[cabanafrau]

Can I plead old person? I have a Twitter account, but I am a Twitter reader more than a poster. I will have to start reading soldier’s sweeties to see how it’s done right!

Not a problem. I not only don't have an account myself, I specifically refer to it as the Twitter because of an ongoing joke with my daughters. I lay claim to being an amazing PR consultant all the same.

 

[Hikergirl]

 

[msjprincess]

Did I miss something? The OP never mentioned cheer, did she? All she's said was that it was an 'elite action sports camp' (whatever the heck that is?).

She started a thread about a cheerleading "debacle" at WDW last week.

 

[soccerdad72]

She started a thread about a cheerleading "debacle" at WDW last week.

Gotcha - I remember that thread now. OP's username didn't ring a bell, offhand, though.

 

[moon]

OK, so a story:

My wife went to camp in the greater Albany area, where her Mom lived, and then was a counselor at that same camp. It was a non-profit Christian camp that was overnight. She wanted our kids to go to this camp, but neither our daughter nor son was in the least bit interested. I think it had to do with being away from us for a long time and the idea of "camping" in general, along with being in a camp 4 hours away with kids they didn't know.

A few years later, after my wife's mom got remarried and moved north to along the St. Lawrence River, she asked to have both children come stay with her for a week in the summer. This turned into a tradition where they would spend a week with grandma and grandpa. They'd help her in her quilt shop and in the garden and go to bingo and her church, etc. One year, Grandma started teaching our daughter piano, which turned into a lifelong love of music and eventually a college degree. This week also gave my wife and I some time just the two of us. One year, we were talked into letting them go up the week of Fourth of July. My wife was bummed because she loves July 4th, and to cheer her up I suggested we go camping. I wasn't really interested in camping but I knew how upset she was. So she jumps at the chance; we buy equipment, book that weekend in a state park, and have a wonderful time. That weekend was my first time in a kayak and my first time building my own campfire.

Now we go camping every year, sometimes with our now (just about) adult children.

Grandma passed away in 2014. Grandpa in 2015.

I am so grateful that my wife's mom convinced us to let them stay with them for a week each year. It got them alone time with my wife's mom and step-dad, and gave us some time just to ourselves, and really had an affect on a lot of our lives.

Thank you for sharing this lovely story

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

When I was growing up, I went to Girl Scout camp near Lake Tahoe. Much less cost, and we had all that. My kids also went to scout camps (in Southern California) and they, also, had all those activities.

I would have loved to go to Girl Scout camp just as much as I'd have loved to go to a Parent Trap camp. I think I've told this story on the Dis before, but I'll tell it again. When I was a Girl Scout (probably 4th grade year), our troop had a contest during cookie sales. The scout who sold the most cookies won a week at Girl Scout camp. I worked my tail off to win that prize. I sold the most boxes of cookies but..... A girl in our troop, Sandy, lost her mother in a terrible accident earlier that year. The troop leader, along with the leader's husband, parents and sister-in-law all sold cookies and donated their sales to Sandy. In the end, due to all the donated sales that were added to Sandy's tally at the end of the contest, she was awarded the prize. Nine year old me was devastated and felt completely cheated. Of course as an adult, I think it was an absolutely wonderful thing for those adults to do for a grieving child. I did, however, get to go to cheerleading camp several times with my school squad during middle school and high school.

 

[sa cheermom]

Did I miss something? The OP never mentioned cheer, did she? All she's said was that it was an 'elite action sports camp' (whatever the heck that is?).

Her daughter (the one going to camp she said) was just in Orlando for the world championships, so is an elite competitive cheerleader. So, best guess by her description is she is looking at one of the UCA/NCA/Varsity cheer camps.

 

[robinb]

I would have loved to go to Girl Scout camp just as much as I'd have loved to go to a Parent Trap camp. I think I've told this story on the Dis before, but I'll tell it again. When I was a Girl Scout (probably 4th grade year), our troop had a contest during cookie sales. The scout who sold the most cookies won a week at Girl Scout camp. I worked my tail off to win that prize. I sold the most boxes of cookies but..... A girl in our troop, Sandy, lost her mother in a terrible accident earlier that year. The troop leader, along with the leader's husband, parents and sister-in-law all sold cookies and donated their sales to Sandy. In the end, due to all the donated sales that were added to Sandy's tally at the end of the contest, she was awarded the prize. Nine year old me was devastated and felt completely cheated. Of course as an adult, I think it was an absolutely wonderful thing for those adults to do for a grieving child.

Well, I think it's an pretty crappy thing to do to 9-year old you to for them throw the contest for Sandy. I'm not saying that it wasn't a wonderful thing to send a grieving child to GS camp, I just think they just went about it in the wrong way. Why not just have those adults (and other GS parents) pitch in and pay for Sandy and the actual #1 cookie seller? Or change it to the top two cookie sellers that year? Or maybe just not have a contest at all and tell everyone that Sandy was chosen to represent the troop for the free trip?

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Well, I think it's an pretty crappy thing to do to 9-year old you to for them throw the contest for Sandy. I'm not saying that it wasn't a wonderful thing to send a grieving child to GS camp, I just think they just went about it in the wrong way. Why not just have those adults (and other GS parents) pitch in and pay for Sandy and the actual #1 cookie seller? Or change it to the top two cookie sellers that year? Or maybe just not have a contest at all and tell everyone that Sandy was chosen to represent the troop for the free trip?

I like your ideas a lot better than the way it played out for 9 year old me!

 

[4kids4karen]

It doesn't bother me for anyone to know what sport she is in.
The camp has 16 different "camps" under it's umbrella, with 14 being different sports and two are media based camps that video/photograph the sports. She has been going for years, sometimes a local friend goes and sometimes she goes on her own and meets new friends or links up with past summer camp friends.

Have a great summer everyone with whatever you and your kid chooses.

 

[keri125]

My kids attend a coed week long sleepaway camp run by the local Camp Fire council. It’s a good old fashioned summer camp that’s been in operation since the ‘30s. DS7 went for the first time last summer and DS11 will be going for his fourth time this summer. I’m glad they love it because it’s one of the most affordable summer camps around that isn’t religious.

.

My son attends Camp Fire camp here every year... this will be his eight year. He LOVES it!

Well, I think it's an pretty crappy thing to do to 9-year old you to for them throw the contest for Sandy. I'm not saying that it wasn't a wonderful thing to send a grieving child to GS camp, I just think they just went about it in the wrong way. Why not just have those adults (and other GS parents) pitch in and pay for Sandy and the actual #1 cookie seller? Or change it to the top two cookie sellers that year? Or maybe just not have a contest at all and tell everyone that Sandy was chosen to represent the troop for the free trip?

I agree with you. Same feelings about this... love that they helped Sandy, hate the way they did it.