S/O why do camps make teens get an excuse slip from RN for

chestnut

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:34 pm

pause wrote:

I also had/have a hard time understanding why tampons aren't more popular.

Cause not every young teen is this comfortable with their body and some mothers are against tampons for young girls, for whatever reasons, valid in our eyes or not.

amother

Currant

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:35 pm

I've never understood why so many camps (day camps not just sleepaway) were run almost like boot camps. So strict. So mean. Can't even fault the counselors because it came from the top.
Maybe it's not as bad nowadays but when I was a kid in the 90s that's what it was like.

amother

Honey

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:36 pm

SuperWify wrote:

Crazy! I hope you reported her.

I was 13 and had just started getting my period a couple of months earlier. I could barely say the word "period,"out loud at that point, much less talk to head counselor or camp nurse about it. But despite how long time ago it was, I still feel how horrible I felt.

amother

Stonewash

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:42 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

(1) probably because teens try it as an excuse every day
(2) there is no reason why girls can’t use a tampon and go swimming or play sports.
We aren’t helping anyone by teaching them that your period means you need to sit around resting all week.

Speak for yourself.

I and many other girls I know and watch s first hand how much pain we were all in whilst we had our periods. Some girls occasionally fainted, myself included. No way was I able to play sports. I was seriously ill for 2 days.

Regarding tampons, some girls are tight down there, as we hear all the time how hard sx is the first time... Imagine trying to get a tampon in and needlessly hurting oneself.

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:46 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Did you ever have debilitating periods? I'm going to guess, no. But it's not even about that. Teens should be allowed to choose what they want to do, give them a choice of 2 or 3 activities.

Yes, I have adenomysis and also have painful periods every month. I have learned to take pain killers and deal.
I am coming from the perspective as a gym teacher for high school. The way we do it is every girl gets 2 excused absences a semester and after that they have to get in the water/ play sports/ whatever activity is.
The unfortunate problem is that the girls who exaggerate/ lie/ make believe they are always on their period ruin it for everyone else.
In theory, it’s great to have alternative activities. In practicality, most places don’t have enough staffing to watch a bunk in several different locations.
Camp is different than school and is meant to be fun so it’s a little different but I don’t believe coddling all girls is the answer. If someone really doesn’t feel well that’s one thing but it shouldn’t be an across the board pass for whoever would rather not. If anything, swimming or at least walking in the water can make someone feel better.

thunderstorm

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:47 pm

amother [ Currant ] wrote:

I found that camp was more strict than school.

amother

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 3:59 pm

For safety reasons, kids shouldn't be allowed by themselves anywhere in camp, so I understand having to be somewhere or going to the pool area even if not swimming, but I don't like forcing the kids to do the activity or having to tell the nurse.

amother

Poppy

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:03 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

not going swimming during their periods. I remember my camp did this and I don't know if every camp did, but that's so childish. Every normal woman gets their period, but why make teens who have just gotten it and are embarrassed, have to tell a woman they don't know, that they got their period and need an excuse slip. Do camps still do this nowadays, where they force everyone to do every activity unless you get a note from the nurse? I remember they forced us to play sports, do all other activities. Do they still do this?

The camp I attended had us show up at the pool but didnt force us to dress for swimming or go into the water. It would have been nice to have something else to do instead of just sitting by the pool area watching others swim. I dont think it would have gone over very well if we had to get a permission slip to not go swimming because of a period since its not exactly tznius to tell other people your personal business (chasidishe camp). I would advise you to write a letter to the people in charge of the camp letting you know how you feel and asking them to change the policy to ensure that the privacy of the girls are not compromised. You can write the letter anonymously if you feel uncomfortable saying who you are but things wont change unless people speak up against it and force it to change. Good luck.

amother

Lightgray

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:03 pm

How dare the camps and schools decide what level of pain girls are in for coping with their period!
The compassionate approach is to offer activity options and perhaps a group discussion in very general terms on how to deal. For someone else to decide that being in the water is good for me is way overstepping. Some days just managing cramps and leaks and keeping a change of protection on you discreetly is difficult enough. If a gym teacher or camp counselor forced something on me I would HATE their guts. I would also cut class or skip school.

DrMom

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:04 pm

amother [ Honey ] wrote:

I had a counselor who made me go into the bathroom stall and pass out my pad to show her. It still makes me shudder.

Practice for when you have to show your stained underwear to a rav for taharat hamishpacha shailot?

BrisketBoss

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:06 pm

amother [ Stonewash ] wrote:

Regarding tampons, some girls are tight down there, as we hear all the time how hard sx is the first time... Imagine trying to get a tampon in and needlessly hurting oneself.

If you had such a problem, wouldn't you want to find out about it before you got married?

steak4me

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:07 pm

DrMom wrote:

Practice for when you have to show your stained underwear to a rav for taharat hamishpacha shailot?

That’s really an inappropriate analogy.

When you show a rav a shaila it’s to help YOU be together with your husband as much as possible. The rav doesn’t get any personal gain from seeing your stained underwear or pad. It’s also not attached to you. Usually brought by the husband in a bag.

This example is of a counselor that abused her young charge for her personal agenda. She forced her into a vulnerable place- a bathroom and demanded proof for no valid reason.

So no, it’s really not the same and not practice at all.

Last edited by steak4me on Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Mayflower

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:39 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

Many girls are uncomfortable using a tampon. There's no intrinsic value in forcing them to do so to play sports or go swimming. Having their period, and later being pregnant or post partum, are all parts of being a woman, and may at times impede activities. We don't have to teach our girls that they have to keep to some feministic super woman standard where they don't let these things "slow them down"

Ema of 5

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:41 pm

amother [ Mayflower ] wrote:

Love this

amother

Mayflower

Sun, Jul 18 2021, 4:43 pm

DrMom wrote:

Practice for when you have to show your stained underwear to a rav for taharat hamishpacha shailot?

No, because you're not a child and no one is forcing you. Your husband (or you) can learn to determine colors yourself. And you can learn the Halacha well enough to know that there's blanket halachos that you can rely on and decide for yourself.

That's not the same as a child having to prove that she has her period so she doesn't have to play sports.