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Tipping counselors
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I tip my childrens counselors...
The recommended amount  
 68%  [ 85 ]
More  
 12%  [ 15 ]
Less  
 8%  [ 11 ]
I don't tip  
 10%  [ 13 ]
Total Votes : 124



amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 1:46 pm
How much does your children's camps ask for tips? For counselors and jc's?
Do you give the recommended amount? More? Less? Will you tip a counselor you weren't happy with? Just wondering how much to send my 3 year,old with. She loves her counselors.
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fleetwood




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 1:50 pm
I usually tipped suggested,even though we usually weren't there the last week . But just an fyi..my daughter is a j.c and makes 350 for the summer..so any tip is appreciated!
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amother
Celeste


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 1:52 pm
I was a counselor one year and got paid very little. we were told that t/g with the tips we'll come home with a nice amount... (but nobody tipped nicely, b/c day camp was very expensive that year)
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 1:56 pm
What if they're having the same counselors 2nd half? You tip after the 2nd half?
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amother
Papaya


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 1:56 pm
I tip the lower end of the recommended tips for my girls. For my boys the tips seems outrageous - the recommendation is more than quadruple (per half) than what we would tip the teachers/rebbeim for the whole year. It's insanity in my mind. My kids always write a beautiful note and we give what we can. I would love to give more -these counselors work hard.
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Motherhood




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 2:10 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
What if they're having the same counselors 2nd half? You tip after the 2nd half?

If your kids are staying on and the counselor is staying, you tip at the end
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Reality




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 2:23 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
How much does your children's camps ask for tips? For counselors and jc's?
Do you give the recommended amount? More? Less? Will you tip a counselor you weren't happy with? Just wondering how much to send my 3 year,old with. She loves her counselors.


It depends. When I can afford to tip full, I do. I remember how hard I worked in day camp and I see how hard my kids work now.

But if I can't afford, I tip what I can. I know that as long as you tip something, the counselors know you appreciated their hard work.

I have only not tipped a counselor once and it was because it was a dysfunctional situation. I refuse to tip a counselor who ditches the bunk on a consistent basis.
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amother
Chicory


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 2:25 pm
I tip the recommended amount for most counselors, more if they are outstanding.
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amother
Impatiens


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 5:41 pm
amother [ Papaya ] wrote:
I tip the lower end of the recommended tips for my girls. For my boys the tips seems outrageous - the recommendation is more than quadruple (per half) than what we would tip the teachers/rebbeim for the whole year. It's insanity in my mind. My kids always write a beautiful note and we give what we can. I would love to give more -these counselors work hard.


This. I was shocked at what the camp recommends. $40 per counselor, $30 for jc. And no recommended amount for learning rebbi. A parent said its expected to give even more than the counselor and they are only with the boys for 1 hour a day.

That's about $150 to $200 in tips for one kid depending on how many counselors and jcs are in that specific bunk in a camp that is already on the more expensive side. For the price we pay, and the fact that the kids literally play sports all day, and there are barely any specials like baking, art, gymnastics, etc. there should be more than enough to pay the counselors reasonable wages.

I suck it up and just pay what's recommended since it's not the counselors fault that the camp is stingy but it bothers me.I end up paying $500 to $600 in tips after spending thousands for camp. It's really a lot.
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 5:46 pm
I tipped on the lower end. The suggested amounts were ridiculously high, considering the high price the camp charges, and the fact that they basically play sports all day. I feel bad the counselors don't get paid much, but why do the parents who are paying a fortune for camp have to be responsible for that?
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amother
Jasmine


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 6:25 pm
Recommended amount is $15 per counselor per half. So $30 per half for my daughter. She's my youngest. Only one still a camper.

I always tip recommended amount
For my son I think it used to be $20 for counselor $15 for JC. Learning rebbe was $30
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amother
Chicory


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 7:00 pm
By us, the learning Rebbi makes a decent salary and the expectations is really no more than a $5 tip to say thank you.
The Rebbi has 200 boys. No tips for the baking/art teachers either.

I will tell you that as a counselor, my 17 yo DD made $400 for 8 weeks before tips and as a 19 yo, when she was the art teacher, they payed her 2K, but I think she got tips from only 3 children, for a total of $20.- which was very nice and not necessary.

But remember, every camp is different. And I am not telling you what to do.
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amother
Dimgray


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 7:56 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
What if they're having the same counselors 2nd half? You tip after the 2nd half?

Yes
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Wed, Jul 21 2021, 8:27 pm
When my kids were in pre school, I gave a tip. The counselors were married women that were in touch with the parents. Now in elementary, the counselors are high school girls & I have no idea who they are. They didn't introduce themselves to the parents & my girls don't even know their last names. They got new counselors for 2nd 1/2, they didn't know their counselors are leaving.
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amother
Jean


 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 6:15 am
I never understood tipping for camp. The camp should pay the counselors and staff! Why does it have to be an added expense on the parents.
I'm a preschool morah and if I'd dare complain about lack of gifts especially monetary gifts at the end of the year everyone argues- "parents pay tuition they dont owe you anything"
Yet they pay camp tuition and then give tips to the counselors. Which is probably way more than the $18 gift cards a few parents give after an entire school year (which I appreciate, but just making point)
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amother
Powderblue


 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 6:31 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
How much does your children's camps ask for tips? For counselors and jc's?
Do you give the recommended amount? More? Less? Will you tip a counselor you weren't happy with? Just wondering how much to send my 3 year,old with. She loves her counselors.


Personally, I think the suggested amounts are straight-out rude. Someone arbitrarily deciding what the tipping amount should be is inappropriate, unless you're basing the wages on that. If that is so, then spell that out accordingly to the parents. Such as, in order for the counselors to be paid in full, every parent should send in $15 per counselor on the last day of camp. Rephrasing that as suggested tipping amount is an underhand tactic. It just rubs me the wrong way.

The camps can just send a message to the parents that it would be nice to show hakaras hatov to the counselors who worked hard so that your kid can have a good summer. That's it. Then let the parents do as they decide without having to worry about if they're doing too little or not measuring up.
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amother
Powderblue


 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 6:37 am
amother [ Jean ] wrote:
I never understood tipping for camp. The camp should pay the counselors and staff! Why does it have to be an added expense on the parents.
I'm a preschool morah and if I'd dare complain about lack of gifts especially monetary gifts at the end of the year everyone argues- "parents pay tuition they dont owe you anything"
Yet they pay camp tuition and then give tips to the counselors. Which is probably way more than the $18 gift cards a few parents give after an entire school year (which I appreciate, but just making point)


This is a common problem when overlooking issues as they start out. When this started out, there were many excuses thrown around for it. I.e. it's just a small camp, the kids are having fun anyways, there not doing it for the money etc. Then it becomes part of the norm, and then it becomes so integrated that there's nothing we can do about it. Now, when even the large camps that charge a hefty sum don't pay the counselors decently, it's considered normal.

It is totally taking advantage of the children. True, many do it for the enjoyment, but it's still hard work. Why shouldn't they get paid more than $2-4 per hour for the work they put in? And then there are those who do it because what other options are there for them. If the parents can't afford full summer camp, or they don't like camp, what else can they keep themselves busy with? There are few options for them, so they turn to such jobs. But does that make it right to pay them 1/3 of the minimum wage (or even less)?
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amother
Lightgray


 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 7:37 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
What if they're having the same counselors 2nd half? You tip after the 2nd half?


I would recommend tipping each month separately
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Chayalle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 7:43 am
I just want to tell you guys something about the learning Rebbe.
My DH did it one summer. NEVER AGAIN.
He had a group of FORTY boys who were just waiting for the day's fun to begin. He tried to engage them in learning something. Mostly it was like keeping them busy.
He got paid an agreed upon price. Then found out the camp paid him as if he was a sole proprietor. When we got to taxes, he had to pay double taxes. It ended up he earned about half the amount.
And yeah, no tips.
When you add on the cost of gas and traffic and what he contended with...it was so not worth it.
No wonder the camps (at least here in Lakewood) have a hard time retaining learning Rebbes.
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Chayalle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 22 2021, 7:47 am
About tipping, I always tip the recommended amount, plus a chocolate bar or something like that and a note.

My DD is in camp this summer. They have a recommended range. I tipped both her counselors the top range, plus a chocolate bar and note. Trust me, I know my kid and I know they deserve it plus.

If you send to a camp that has a tipping schedule, then you knew that up front. Or if you didn't, you were lax in finding out about it. If you don't want to pay that amount (camp fee plus the tip) then send your kid elsewhere. But don't deprive the counselor of her earnings.

I was a counselor one summer for 5 year old boys. There was one kid who was very difficult, he was the kid I had to look out for the most. He had a 4-year-old brother who liked to tag along with him, and I was told by the daycamp to allow him. So essentially, I had two kids from that parent in my bunk.

The recommended tip back in the day was $15. I remember at the end of the summer, the Mom gave me $5. I can't tell you how it stung.
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