Camp ruach l’banos - Lakewood

Chayalle

Sun, Feb 25 2018, 10:03 pm

I sent my oldest to RL. When you get to be my age, you see that more or less the camps are all the same. She chose to go there because that's where her friends went, and she was happy enough. It was well run. Like all large camps, it has the large camp drawbacks, but was reasonably organized and safe, responsibly run, etc....

WHY WOULD YOU SEND YOUR DAUGHTER TO DAYCAMP WITHOUT ANY FRIENDS?

I would not send my daughter to daycamp without friends. Girls tend to go to daycamp with friends - whether school friends, neighbors, or cousins. I would not send alone.

This year my DD wants to go to a daycamp across town, because her BFF is going. I would love to send her to a daycamp closer to home (would save me transportation $$$) but I understand her need to solidify her school friendship over the summer, and will probably just cough it up and be grateful she has good friends.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Feb 25 2018, 11:06 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Wow- that was hurtful. The part In caps about friends...

My dd is very quiet and not confident so in general making close friends does not come easy for her. My heart brakes for her and I am trying to help her in any way I can.
She does have a few good friends but 2 are going to a camp that I wouldn’t send her to ... one friend is going to a camp that has no more room for that age- so we are left with choosing a new camp that is warm, welcoming and friendly.
BH she thrived in camp the past few summers but she did know one girl and they stuck together. This yr it’s just not working out - finding that friend to go with but I think if we choose the right camp carefully she will have a nice time.

I did get to your age, perhaps even past it and no, I don’t think all the camps are the same. Do you really think that revach and Liba are similar at all?

Chayalle

Mon, Feb 26 2018, 9:15 am

amother wrote:

I am sorry. I had no intention to hurt - it was just my way of expressing surprise and my feeling that this is important (which is what you were asking in your OP). I will try to be more careful and considerate in my postings. I forget that my tone can be misinterpreted in writing - we are not talking face to face.

My own experience is that it IS important, if possible, to go to a camp with at least one friend (as you yourself note, they stuck together...what would it be like if she had no one to stick to?)

For one child who is more of a floater (she has new best friends weekly) I try to inquire where girls she is likely to be comfortable with are going - girls in her class, or girls she plays with in the neighborhood, or relatives. Last year she went to Meira for one half because a few of her classmates were going and they were nice girls, the type to include each other just because; and Chaveiros 2nd half because my niece and another classmate were going. It worked out okay friends-wise. This year she wants to go to Ahava.

I feel like I'm making the rounds, and to some degree, yes, they all do the same trips, maybe one camp is a bit more shticky than another, but I don't see major differences overall. Some camps claim to be more warm, and I did find that to be true in some camps more than others, but at the end of the day they are all big and overstimulating and competing and the best thing you can do IMVHO is send with a friend, because everyone else is going with a friend. Especially if your child is quiet.

I admit to having no experience with Revach. Didn't exist for my big girls and was a consideration last year for my little one, but she opted for Meira.

I've heard that Camp Leeba has improved in terms of staff and attention to campers.

Chayalle

Mon, Feb 26 2018, 9:19 am

In terms of RLB, my oldest daughter liked it because she went with friends, and they had a well-run program. I recall that the director was very nice about allowing her to switch bunks one year when hers did not work out for her. I do think they tried hard to give the girls a positive time.

In terms of the counselors, they are all the same. My girls say that they choose their friends' sisters for all awards, and my daughter, as an oldest, felt unrecognized when she tried hard for something. But this was generally true in all camps - that's the price of big camps vs. backyard daycamps.

amother

Papaya

Mon, Feb 26 2018, 9:26 am

Chayalle wrote:

Is it really very yeshivish? My daughter wants to go with a friend of hers but I know nothing about it.

Chayalle

Mon, Feb 26 2018, 9:35 am

amother wrote:

Is it really very yeshivish? My daughter wants to go with a friend of hers but I know nothing about it.

Yes, I do think it's pretty yeshivish - it certainly was when my DD went. Think Bais Faiga/Bais Rivka Rochel type. I believe the directors send their kids to BRR, so that sort of defines the type a little (though my friend whose girls went to BRR davka didn't go to RLB, as they wanted a change of building for their summer vacation.)

We're middle of the road yeshivish, and DD was not uncomfortable there in her regular tees, denims, and knee socks....