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Interview With Parents Who Have Never Attended Camp Having been a 'frequent-flyer' in the summer camp circles for most of my schoolyard years, I always assumed my kids would attend camp. It's just something you did every summer, and it certainly gave start to that dreaded staple of back to school projects - "How I Spent My Summer Vacation." But for me, summer camp was always more
than a kick-start for some stupid essay. Other than a
trip to Disneyland and a visit to Grandma's where I
landed my first airplane ride, I couldn't tell you how I
spent one single summer vacation were it not for the
Woodbine Ranch in the mountains of Colorado. Nestled just
a short half-hour drive from the famous Front Range and
city of Denver, this camp in the mountains was light
years from home and thus, far from the confines of Mom
and Dad. I have no doubt this experience gave birth to my passion for working with kids, and eventually where I've settled today as an owner/operator of my own high adventure camp. Summer camp is in my blood, but what of the millions of kids who've now become parents who've never set foot in camp? I set out to discover a point of view I'd long since lost - the perspective of the "hasn't been." I wanted to know if, and why, these parents would send their kids to camp. As a camp director, I certainly get to interview and answer questions for parents of many prospective campers. From my notes on those conversations, I was able to cull a list of "hasn't beens", many who granted my request for an interview. Much of what I uncovered was pretty predictable. However, there were a few shockers in the pile, as well. For instance, when asked "What is the most important feature or activity you look for in a camp?", several parents echoed the sentiments of this frustrated mom. "I'm at my wits end. He's just not interested in anything any more. I'm hoping time away from home will do two things - get him out of a rut with a stagnant group of friends, and give me some time to reflect on what's been happening to us." Wow. I didn't expect quite such heady stuff. To be sure, many parents are looking at camp as part of their campaign against boredom, an affliction that often leads to trouble. Speaking with Jeffrey Solomon, Executive Director of the National Camp Association, he points out, "In the past, children attended camp through age 15. With their college years not beginning until age 17 or 18, parents were left with a 2 - 4 year gap." It's this gap that has many parents who've never attended camp suddenly looking at all their options. "Since we had never been to camp, it never dawned on us to send them off for two weeks of high adventure," reports Leland and Pat Kidd, raising two teenage boys. "What we found was several months of benefit. There was the actual time at camp, of course, but the two months leading up to camp gave them something to look forward to, and six months later they're still talking about it at every family get together. They did something special, and it makes them feel special, even now." Leland, their father, goes on to say, "I must admit that listening to their stories makes me just a little sad I didn't have a similar opportunity, but my parents never mentioned it and I vaguely heard of others who went to camp. I didn't really know anyone who'd been, so it was no big deal. It wasn't something that everyone did." Clearly summer camp has made an impact in this family, and the Kidd's insist they'll make it an annual event. I found their comment regarding "several months of benefit" particularly enlightening, and it was supported by others who validated the long term returns of before-and-after camp. "It leverages the two week tuition into a year long investment. That makes summer camp a bargain in my book," declares Mr. Kidd. I talked to a few parents who candidly admitted they were looking for someone to take on the task of "babysitting", at least for awhile. "You run out of ideas," says one mom who has yet to send her daughter to camp. "I can remember being just as bored as she is when I was her age. Summer camp would have been a great attraction for me, so I am definitely going to budget for it this year. It will also give me a little time off, and let my daughter make some new friends. Even if a lot of what they do ends up being some of the same things they can do here, like playing cards and staying up late, at least she's with new people in a different place, and it makes the whole experience fresh." One single father expressed concern with sending his 14-year-old son too far from home. "I've never been to camp, so I have no idea what it's like. I suppose there's no real difference between a two hour plane flight and a two hour bus ride; they're still just two hours from home. I'm not sure who's more nervous about this first experience away from home, my son or me. With a camp that's close by, at least I can get in the car and be there if I had to." With camps located in just about all 50 states, as well as the Canadian provinces, chances are there's one close by to accommodate the balance between what you want and what your child wants in a camp. Specialty camps, by their nature, tend to be fewer and farther between, so it may be harder to find one near your home. "I'm sure once we've done this once or twice," this father continues, "we'll get more adventuresome and can look beyond our immediate geographic boundaries." There was one common thread as we concluded these discussions. It can best be described as 'the desire to provide a great childhood', and almost all parents we spoke to mentioned this element in one way or another. Many parents believe good grades in school will simply put their children on a level playing field with their peers; real excellence and success comes with mastering the finer points. "The most successful people I've seen are those that seem to have the greatest self confidence, and are truly adept at getting along with others," one parent said. "Summer camp seems to embody the elements that give them an opportunity to learn these very things. That's what I want to pass on to my kids, and I let the schools take care of the reading, writing, and arithmetic. I figure it's my job to give my kids that little extra that can help them accomplish more. I'm glad we figured out that summer camps are an integral part of that little extra." Randy Faris ©1999 - 2008 National Camp Association |