Mother's Helper- Camps Bais Yaakov/Tehilla/Bnos Ruach Chaim

amother

Cinnamon

Sun, Nov 05 2023, 12:41 pm

amother OP wrote:

If your dds mother's helpers in any of these sleep away camps-
How many hours a day did they work?
Did they feel looked down upon or left out?

As someone who was a mothers helper for one year when I was younger, DON’T!!!!
Yes they are looked down on
I continued at the camp for many years after, and was not a mothers helper, but it’s 20 years later and I still burn with shame thinking about it

amother

Sun, Nov 05 2023, 12:45 pm

amother Cinnamon wrote:

Thank you. I'm sorry for your experience.
Was it in one of these three camps?

amother

Papaya

Sun, Nov 05 2023, 12:46 pm

I work in one of those camps. The mothers helpers are NOT looked down on for being mothers helpers. Many of them are popular girls, become TC sups years later, and some are G.O. in high school. Nobody I know looks down on a camper because she's a mothers helper and in the camp I'm in there's literally zero shame. If anything, you're privileged the rest of the day and can come and go to activities as you please because you work for 3 hours and the counselors don't ask questions.
I love our mothers helpers. They're usually good, solid girls that know to appreciate being in camp and are not show-off, name-brand kids.

Just my two cents.

amother

Sun, Nov 05 2023, 12:56 pm

amother Papaya wrote:

Thank you

Could you rate these camps in order from most show-off, name-brand vibe to least?

amother

Darkblue

Sun, Nov 05 2023, 1:12 pm

Many, many years ago I worked as a mother’s helper- not in any of the camps you asked about.
The mother’s helpers went to camp for free but some worked very, very hard. I would not let my daughter work as a mother’s helper in that camp.
My girls go to camp Bais Yaakov. No one goes for free. Mother’s helpers pay but that’s because they are actually part of a bunk. They sleep with their bunk and join in some activities too. One of my daughters called me from camp and told me she doesn’t enjoy activities so much and she’d rather have a baby to watch. From what I understand, mothers helpers bring their babies back to their bunks and everyone is jealous of the girls who have babies to watch. The whole bunk ends up helping out sometimes.
When I was a mother’s helper we had a mother’s helper bunk. We were not part of the camp and never joined for activities.
I would let my girls be a mothers helper in camp Bais Yaakov but just confirm that everything I wrote is true.

amother

Seashell

Mon, Nov 06 2023, 1:19 am

I have worked in many camps, including one of the ones mentioned above.
Although a mothers helper isnt looked down at, the girls hardly get to enjoy camp and are given many hours of work, including bedtime and bathtime and meal times in many instances.
Its not fair to the kid unless they like that kinda summer.

amother

Papaya

Mon, Nov 06 2023, 1:35 am

amother Seashell wrote:

It depends on how many hours you sign her up for. That depends on how much of a discount you're looking to get. A 3-hour mothers helper works way less than a 6-hour one. All the girls that do the same family sit down in the beginning and split up the hours fairly. Some girls need 6 hours but don't want to do breakfast or bedtime so they do 11-5. Others choose to do 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. Those girls end up doing breakfast and supper but they like eating meals in the staff dining room where it's calmer and not squishy and you can take seconds and thirds 😉. In other words, it can be pleasant. There are also perks to being a mothers helper. Mine didn't enjoy the lazy time between night activity and lights out so she'd come to the bungalow at night and use the phone while she listened in on the kids.

amother

Papaya

Mon, Nov 06 2023, 1:41 am

amother OP wrote:

Thank you

Could you rate these camps in order from most show-off, name-brand vibe to least?

Tehilla
BRC and CBY

Again, just my opinion. I think BRC and CBY are pretty equal but I can ask my daughters. They'll know better because they have friends in both.