Had to get my dd at camp (early) This is long- I'm really mad!

[Mermaid02]

My dd was quite homesick... but we were talking her through it. Then day before yesterday she overheard one of the "mentors" (teenage girls.... probably 16 or 17) saying "This looks like a quaint little town but there are people here who will kidnap kids and sell them." Considering recent events in California- not very funny. I spoke to the woman in charge of the mentor and told her that I know she is young and it's a learning experience for her too and maybe she just needs to know that while stories like that may be funny sitting around a campfire with her peers, to a 12 yo who is away from home for the 1st time- it's terrifiying. Meg called me later and was hyperventilating, she said that this woman told her, "You should have told me and not your mother- because what you told your mother could get one of my staff members fired." and she was pretty nasty. I told Meg we would come get her in the morning... and I told her housemother that too. Meg had to tell this other woman and didnt' dare to by herself so she asked her housemother to go with her.

The next morning I asked the woman if she said that to Megan, that it could get one of her staffers fired and she shouldn't have called me. She said she NEVER said that. I told her I wanted to meet with the camp director before I left.... so we did.

I told them to tell a child they shouldn't call their mother when someone frightens them, intimidates them or hurts them is very suspect. I said, "We have brought our daughter up to TELL... it's when kids don't dare to TELL that they get into real trouble." I was so mad. I told her I thought her staffers were just practicing CYA..... and it was their word against my daughters and frankly I believed my daughter.

I kept my cool until the very end...... the lady said "I dont' feel good leaving it like this.... I'd like to get ______ (the liar) in on the conversation." I said, "Why? She lied to my face once. Do you think she's going to admit it? The fact that Megan didnt' dare talk to her alone and she had her housemother go with her speaks volumes to me. It says during the 1st conversation she wasn't kind to my dd, she wasn't sympathetic to my dd and she was NASTY to my dd. If you want me to tell her all that to her face I will but I have a 3 hour ride home and I really don't see the point do you?"

I'm writing some letters.

 

[iluvorlando]

That is totally unacceptable behavior. Kind of makes me glad that my DD's are too young to want to go to sleep over camp. I hope that person gets fired!!

 

[Colleen A.]

You definitely did the right thing going to get your daughter. I would of been FUMING by the time I would of gotten there, they would of been happy to see me go! Any "camp" that is more concerned about their staff than about the children who are in their care has no business running a camp!! These girls who were making the jokes about being kidnapped need to do some serious growing up! They are old enough to understand the seriousness of those situations and know that it is nothing to laugh about. I'm glad you have your daughter home safe and sound. Give her a hug from me!

Colleen

 

[dianeschlicht]

I would believe your DD too. This sounds like abuse of the first degree. By that I mean trying to make it look like the child is lying. This is mental abuse.

 

[Mermaid02]

I forgot to add that they offered to refund our tuition..... there is a foundation here in Maine (in some areas) that if your child is in public school they give you $1000 toward summer camp (regardless of income) so I called them yesterday and informed them they didn't need to pay the camp...... I'm still writing letters.

 

[browneyes]

Poor Meg. She must've been so upset. {{hugs}} Meg and you did the right thing.

 

[Mamu]

This camp sounds like a nightmare. You did the right thing by picking her up.

Sending Pixie Dust Meg's way it sounds like it's been quite an ordeal for her.

 

[ChiTownZee]

{{{{{{{Meg}}}}}}}}
I would spread the word about these people to everyone I could To tell a child not to tell their parents something is beyond disgusting!

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I'm so upset to hear this. My 8 yo dd had an unpleasant experience at sleep away camp last week. Not nearly as bad as this though. It's just unexceptable to say something like that even kidding around. And she's worried about the girl getting fired?! How about taking care of the situation so it doesn't happen again.

 

[December99]

Given the recent events, as you said regarding kidnappings lately, that was TOTALLY uncalled for. Make sure you write a letter to the "supervisor" of the head of the camp also!!!!!! TOTALLY TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!

 

[SuiteDisney]

Atta girl, Mermaid02! Ya done good, Mom. (((hugs)))

 

[Serena]

Whatever were they thinking???

Atta girl, Mermaid02! Ya done good, Mom.

Suite said what I was thinking.

 

[yepod]

Totally unacceptable

Good job Mermaid02

 

[eeyore0062]

Good for you!!! You handled that well. I would have probably wanted the camp councellor and everyone else involved sitting there as the Camp Director had suggested, though. I would have loved to see them squirm. Write those letters, and make sure EVERYONE sees them!

 

[Planogirl]

That girl said a VERY stupid thing and she should have been the one to get the lecture. I suspect that everyone being honest and apologetic about this would have been a good thing but now it's turned into a mess. Why are people so stupid sometimes?

 

[Rajah]

Very good work, Mermaid, and keep at it! And good job to your daughter, too, for being willing to tell!

Write those letters, make sure this doesn't happen again.

 

[Boots]

{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}} Our DS who is now 23 went to a camp by a very popular organization when he was 14. It was one that was a fitness type thing. He was so excited and he had never been to camp before either. Left on a Saturday and called home at 4:45am on Wednesday wanting us to come and get him. There were both male and females and they had booked too many males. He was in a storeroom converted into a room with only one other guy who was 22. He wanted to come home on Mon but was told real campers didn't call home. He got up early while everyone was still asleep and walked 4 miles to the nearest town to call us and then walked back and snuck back in. DH and I drove to get him and we were told that we couldn't. I told the lady, "watch me" and I did!!! Don't tell me I can't get my own child!!!!

 

[Mermaid02]

I know what you are saying about wanting "liar" to be there but I was afraid if she sat there and LIED to my face again I just might LOSE it. Plus I didnt' think my dd needed to hear that woman sit right there and call her a liar.

When we rang the bell to get in the camp I told the woman who I was and that I was there to get my dd. She said, "Does LIAR know about this??" I wanted to say, "I really don't give a d*mn if she knows or not!" couldn't lose it though..... had to maintain my composure. It was hard.

 

[zurgswife]

Glad you were there to help and protect your daughter......

 

[kylara]

Boots, I am sorry but I laughed when you wrote they told you, you couldn't take your child. It is so hard to beleive that people are that stupid. Did they really expect you to just say okay and leave!!!! Guess they never heard that kidnapping is holding a person against their will...not letting you take your child home would have been kidnapping.

Mermaid...I also say...write away...tell everyone you can. It is appalling that anyone would tell your child that they should not have called and told you that they were scared. And you were calm...I mean in your post, you stated that when you called you even said that you knew it was a learning experience for these counselors...if I worked there, by that I would have taken it that you wanted me to talk to the girls and make them realize how inappropriate that comment was to make around the younger campers. I would not have taken it to mean you were trying to get someone fired. And even if I did, I would never have confronted the camper about it.

I can understand the Director wanting the LIAR in the room though. Some peoples stories will change when that happens, but the Director also should have taken into account that you already confronted this woman and that your child was there and she should not have to be in the room while that LIAR says that she didn't confront your daughter.

I hope that the letters you write get some satisfaction. These people really need to be told how to run a camp! They should be doing what is in the best interest of the campers!