Should My Child Go To Overnight Camp? The Big Decision

Disclaimer: I am a camper through and through. I would return in a minute, which is one of the reasons I loved living vicariously through my youngest son’s eyes when he spent seven weeks away at overnight camp. That said; I realize overnight camp is not for every child. As much as it was and is a part of my life, I realized that my older son wanted no part of it.

You know what? That was okay.

I had many conversations with people about the decision to send my son, who was nine-years-old at the time, to overnight camp. Not just any overnight camp. MY overnight camp. I’ll admit, when we discussed the possibility of camp, we toured one and only one camp.

Was I biased? Of course I was.

Did I know my kid? Yes.

I knew if he was going to go anywhere, this would be the place.

After 3 ½ weeks of his first camp experience passed, he called home asking to stay the full seven-week session. Two things happened: I squealed with delight and, while cringing at the thought of what another session would cost us, I did the happy dance. My kid loved camp! My happy place was now his happy place.

“But seven weeks? That is SUCH A LONG TIME. Don’t you miss him? I could never do that. My kid would never do that.”

I get some backwards glances (“you must really want to get rid of your kid”) and some jealous responses (“I wish my child would do that”).

Truth: Of course I miss my kid. And I don’t.

Let me explain:

On day one, my son entered a bunk with seven complete strangers and two counselors. He was instantly welcomed and asked to trade gum. That was that. He quickly shoved me out the door allowing a brief moment to hug him goodbye (as long as no one was looking). I cried in the car praying he was going to love it.

He acted in two plays. He played gaga ball and perfected the crawl stroke. He had to maintain the bunk, so therefore learned to clean toilets and sinks. He stayed up late and ran around shooting water guns and throwing water balloons. He went on trip days and trip nights. He got dirty and his shoes were full of sand. He forgot to change his pillowcase for four weeks straight and he rarely applied suntan lotion. He didn’t starve if he didn’t like the meal and he survived if he only ate bread and butter and a popsicle for lunch. He may have forgotten to brush his teeth, his hair, wash behind his ears or under his arms, match his clothes, change his shorts the next day, wash his bathing suit, or use a wash cloth.

He was okay. He survived.

I didn’t get to kiss him goodnight each night or know that he was happy every second, but I trusted my gut. I didn’t know his every move and that was hard, but only at first, because the first letter of his first season said in big giant letters, “CAMP IS AWESOME.”

And do you know why it was awesome? Because at nine-years-old, he was independent. He got to be “free.” Free from the rules of school and a nagging mother asking him to brush his hair. It was okay to go out in clothes that didn’t match or dirty elbows because it was camp. And he got to walk around camp and go from activity to activity with his friends. No parents. He got to make friends with kids who also felt this freedom and maturity. He breathed, ate and slept with these kids. He HAD to be himself because it was too long a time not to let your guard down.

Season Two came and he was already a veteran. It was okay to bring an extra stuffed animal that year because he didn’t care if the other boys saw it. It was a must to pack extra gum because, after all, that’s what you did in the early mornings when you woke up before the counselors; you traded gum. It was okay to hug your friend or dance and sing because, well, everyone else was and you were accepted if you did.

So is overnight camp for everyone? Of course not. Not everyone wants to be away from home, sleep away from home, spend all that time feeling the need to run around and do different activities. Some need some down time and some don’t want to be that far away. And that is okay.

All I’m saying is I didn’t “send” my child off to summer camp. My child BEGGED me to go to summer camp.

Overnight camp was his second home. It was HIS place, the place where he got to shine and got to be himself and got to be a part of a very special community.

I met my best friend at the age of nine at the very same summer camp. We are now 50+ and still best friends. Summer camp isn’t just for the young or for a chapter or two in your life. It stays with you forever.

He went for seven summers and is now doing other things. It was a great way for him to learn to be without his parents and a great introduction to what life would be like in college.

He did learn to make his own bed. And no, he still doesn’t do that at home.