Tipping 7th grade assistant in backyard camp

amother

Navy

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 8:45 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

My daughters play group morah from during the year continued into the summer. Is a $5 sprinkles gift card being cheap for the 7th grade assistants? Or is that fine?
1st half ends tomorrow...

If you can afford more, I'd say $10 is the minimum amount I'd give. Is there a suggested amount?
Those young counselors work very hard!

thatworn

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 8:54 am

Give cash. Not everyone likes ice cream and the like. Maybe she is saving up for something and is looking forward to tips to be able to afford to buy it. If ten mothers give $5 each, that's a nice chunk of money. If ten mothers give $10 each, that's even better. If you truly can only afford $5, that is totally understandable. IMHO, a card written from a parent's heart, with a picture on it drawn by your DC, will also be appreciated.

Simple1

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 8:57 am

I've found Sprinkles gift cards and the like to be less convenient than cash for a dependant child. Because I have to find time to take her to the place and decide if I should give in to the temptation to buy for myself and everyone else. That said if the tip is not mandatory, it's the thought that counts and don't make yourself crazy. Give what comes easiest to you.

amother

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 9:07 am

Im so surprised by all the answers. When I texted the morah to ask when their last day is she told me noone else asked... this has happend to me in the past, counselors leave unannounced on a random day and go to sleepaway. Im assuming maybe 5 mothers will tip...

thatworn

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 9:13 am

Simple1 wrote:

This is so so so true. I was grateful when my dd's teacher gave her a Sprinkles gift card as a reward last year. It was nice of her to give a reward, B"H! But it meant actually going to Sprinkles! She has B"H siblings, so I felt that I should buy ice cream for all of them (it's not practical for me to go out with one child and buy ice cream just for her, much as I'd like to), which ended up kind of expensive.

Chayalle

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:28 pm

My daughter is that age and I'm pretty sure she'd appreciate it.

I can tell you that my older girls, when they worked as counselors in local daycamps (Shevach, Leeba, etc..) barely got any tips at all. A sprinkles card was definitely appreciated.

amother

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:32 pm

Chayalle wrote:

I ended up buying $10 gift cards from sprinkles. As I was buying it I got a text from the morah, the counslers are leaving X day, no tip necessary...

Chayalle

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:35 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I ended up buying $10 gift cards from sprinkles. As I was buying it I got a text from the morah, the counslers are leaving X day, no tip necessary...

You can mail it to them. It's a really nice thought, OP. I'm sure they will feel really good and appreciated.

Simple1

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:35 pm

Chayalle wrote:

I've thought about it, but I never ended up tipping in the big daycamps because they don't give tipping notes like they do in the sleepaway camps. Maybe it's not the best thing, but I rationalize that I'm paying a lot as it is, so I don't give if they don't ask. Although if people are generous and tip, that's very nice. I can tell you one thing. Your daughters are lucky they got jobs in the big, fun camps. None of my girls have ever been successful at getting such a job.

Chayalle

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:40 pm

Simple1 wrote:

I have much to say on the subject, but will take that as it is - that yes, I count my blessings. Let me just say that some work experiences were better than others. Some of them have been no fun at all....I would not send my next DD to work there.

Yes, Lakewood has never had the tipping schedule that other towns have (though the pay is no better). I think we pay less than other cities (I once compared with my sister in NY, and as much as it seemed expensive for me, I was paying less than 2/3 of what she was paying) so the flip side is, when our kids work they get paid less too.

However, when they did get even a small tip, they really appreciated it. It's so nice to be acknowledged. I tried whenever possible to do this as well.

amother

Silver

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:47 pm

I live in the Five towns and my boys and my girls day camps send the tip sheets home with the kids once or twice, in the last Friday newsletter and once or twice as an email. It's overkill and I find it piggish. Daycamp can be over 2k per child as it is.....

I don't have a kid in seventh grade yet but for my lower elementary kids I do prefer gift cards to ice cream stores or restaurant over cash. T

Chayalle

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:50 pm

amother [ Silver ] wrote:

Lakewood's daycamps are much cheaper than that.

I paid around $800 per half for my DD for TEEN camp. So the younger ages are cheaper than that.

At over $1000 per half, I wonder what the counselors are getting paid. They should get more money than Lakewood's counselors if you are paying so much....unless the costs are higher in the 5-towns?

UQT

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 2:54 pm

My daughters are so appreciative when someone sends an ice coffe, danish or even a chocolate bar. It's just nice to acknowledge their hard work. $5 card to sprinkles is more than enough here in lakewood. Since my big girls started working I alwasy try to send something to the younger ones counselor...

Colorpop

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 3:18 pm

If tips are expected, I think cash is the best thing to give because that is usually the counselor's motivation throughout the summer (If I do a great job, I will get tips and be able save up for XYZ...)

However if tips are not expected, a sprinkles gift card will truly be appreciated.

amother

Silver

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 3:20 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Generally speaking everything in Lakewood is cheaper than the five towns so it makes sense camps cost more as well here. The tip sheets are per half not the whole summer and it was 25 for a rebbe, 30 for a counselor, 10 for the lifeguards and there were amounts for co counselors and jc but my kids just had counselors.

Ten kids in a bunk and thirty per counselor - thats 300. Thats very nice money for a highschool kid plus they are getting paid from the camp.

SixOfWands

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 3:28 pm

thatworn wrote:

Which meant that your DD didn't get a reward at all, as everyone in the family got ice cream.

Give cash.

amother

Papaya

Thu, Jul 23 2020, 3:33 pm

I'm a playgroup Morah that continued into the summer (yesterday was the last day). I don't really consider myself a camp and my assistants are not expecting tips. I pay them MUCH more than the daycamps would pay and parents pay a lot more for me - I would feel uncomfortable asking parents to tip them. Some parents are choosing to tip or give a cute gift which is very nice of them and of course appreciated!