Sleepaway camp will be such a formative expertise for a child. You’re tossed from one exercise to the following, showering was by no means on the prime of my precedence checklist, however I nonetheless made time for one right here and right here, only a private desire at that age.
One dad is questioning what the deal is with summer season camp hygiene after his daughter got here residence and had not showered as soon as. He reached out for recommendation in the /Parenting subreddit, asking if he’s simply completely out of the loop on summer season camp tradition or if the camp is in charge for his daughter’s lack of non-public hygiene whereas she was away.
“[My] daughter (10) simply got here again from sleepaway camp. Seems, in 2 weeks there, she by no means showered!! We blame the camp greater than her, are we improper? Are the camp insurance policies the norm?” he started in his Reddit publish.
“She doesn’t have an issue with hygiene or showering at residence. On the contrary, she is fairly good with it and likes her time. She likes to be clear.”
“When questioned… she instructed us that they didn’t have showers within the cabins. She stated there was a bathe block with non-public stalls, however there was no particular time put aside for showering, it was left to every child to determine on their very own when and the way.”
He says that, when questioned, his daughter alluded to feeling uncomfortable going to the bathe block alone with youngsters of all ages (teenagers, tweens, and many others.) sharing the block collectively or “goofing round.”
“Along with a schedule full of enjoyable actions, her buddies not worrying about it, and being on the shy facet, she simply didn’t bathe,” he wrote earlier than explaining that he went to summer season camp as a child and showered frequently due to camp rules and scheduling. Time was put aside for hygiene.
“Within the morning there could be a line for enamel after breakfast, and weren’t afraid to jokingly inform us we stunk and needed to wash,” he defined.
“On one facet, it appears like our daughter ought to have taken higher care of her personal hygiene, she is nearly 11 in any case. On the identical time, I sort of see the issue right here, at that age I’d even have had a tough time with that setting. I sort of blame the camp organizers. Am I improper right here?”
His spouse ended up calling the camp to analyze. Seems, the camp has a “very agency” coverage about camp counselors not asking youngsters to bathe. Counselors additionally can’t stroll the campers to the bathe block.
“This appears loopy to me. Absent the mother and father, I used to be anticipating the camp and counselors to have a minimal responsibility to make sure excellent care of the youngsters, and hygiene is a part of it (ticks, infections, …). To me, it is nearly crossing the road of neglect right here? Or are we out of line right here? Are our views skewed? Or is that this how issues are usually dealt with in sleepaway camps?”
A number of former campers and oldsters chimed in on the publish, serving to to present this involved dad some perspective on present summer season camp tradition.
“I solely ever attended a 5-day sleep away… it had showers however they have been FREEZING. I attended this camp for six years… it wasn’t till the final yr that my buddies and I lastly dared to make use of the showers. In any other case, child wipes and lingerie modified every day,” one person wrote.
One other reminded the dad that the bathe insurance policies are possible in place to assist defend the campers, fairly the other to what this dad has envisioned.
“So, I feel the camp is making an attempt to stop any look or alternative for the counselor to be inappropriate with the campers. I’ve taken a number of Boy Scouts to summer season camp and my solely rule was everybody showered earlier than we bought on the bus for the 12-15 hour trip residence and if anybody smelled of something apart from cleaning soap, deodorant, shampoo or toothpaste the bus would wait. Through the two weeks, they policed their very own hygiene. The youngest boys, 10-11, wouldn’t bathe throughout camp and would attempt to get on the bus. They have been denied,” one other talked about.
“The youngsters have been most likely within the pool on a regular basis. Would showers and enamel brushing been a good suggestion, in fact, but when they stored your child protected, prevented bullying, and your child had enjoyable, then I’d name it a win. If she goes once more, perhaps discuss by way of a bathe schedule together with her now that you understand the camp doesn’t actually monitor this.”
“I am optimistic they got “free time” from say, 7pm-9pm, and through that point is when most youngsters would have showered. Perhaps she did not really feel snug, and that is okay! However at 10 you possibly can’t actually count on camp employees to power her into the bathe (that will be bizarre, proper?),” one other stated.
One other questioned, “I imply, is it actually the top of the world to go two weeks with out showering? There’s most likely swimming and apart from, it is camp. Have you ever ever taken a canoe journey? (You do not pack a bathe.)”
