Here's a new group to rival hockey and soccer parents: Summer Camp Parents!

Lord help these children.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/nyregion/26camp.html?ei=5087&em=&en=add411fef8da74b7&ex=1217217600&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1217098119-8STVgLa1TqcTxmUGqTmu+A

They call. The pester. They give their kids two cellphones because phones are banned so their little darlings can give up one and still phone home. They give them a break from their Ritalin but don't tell the camp,

“If your child doesn’t get the bunk they want or you’re worried that he didn’t get the right camp counselor, if you convey that kind of response — ‘Oh my God, that’s awful, let me call them, it’s so unfair’ — that’s the worst possible response a parent could have,” she said. “But more of that is happening.”

 

That is so disturbing. My mom couldn't wait to get rid of me for 2 weeks in the summer when I went to camp.

 

Summer camp parents need to be shot.
Not only do they cry foul, they fill their kids' schedules with every random camp you can think of (and abhore the thought of kids just being kids and being able to enjoy their summers). Right after they get home from soccer camp, it's off to junior Scrabble camp, then back home for 2 days to rest before going to young sluts, er, cheerleading camp.

 

What I don't get is if the parents are so worried about having their children out of their site, why are they sending them to sleepaway camp?

 

It's a sick thing. If little Billy or Suzy stays at home, the parents are driven to murderous fits of rage. If little Billy or Suzy goes to camp, the parents breath a sigh of relief, but also freak out and self medicate and end up getting hourly updates from the camp to make sure Billy and Suzy don't have poison ivy or haven't been caught killing foxes or squirrels and making pelts from their skins.

 

Maybe the kids should blog from summer camp?

 

"Saturday, July 26 -

Today we did something awesome at camp. We took some old containers of Mr. Clean and made our own bongs.

I'm so glad I'm here and away from mom and dad. I really hate mom right now cause she's hogging all the prozac, and dad's kind of creeping me out with that website he's always on."

 

That is a skill that they will need for later in life. Like the McGyver smoker in Half-baked. Seriously though, these kind of parents scare me. Isn't it good for kids to have a little independence over the summer, I mean at least they are not sitting inside doing nothing.

 

Howard Stern sent his kids to Bryn Mawr.

I did not read this entire article, but it is worth noting that about 75% of kids that go to these summer camps are Jewish. And a few of these parents are the stereotypical rich Jewish moms that will just drive you batshit crazy.

I spent nine summers of my life at one of these camps, and until you see the Jewish mothers and fathers in action, nothing in this story would seem strange.

And before I get jumped all over here, I am talking about 4-5% of all the Jewish parents. It is a small percentage, but those 4-5% are far worse than anything I am ever come across before. It's like they play a fucking game with each other to see what shit they can get away with and then wear it like a badge of honor.

"I was the last person on the bus (when I should not have been on the bus). I got to say an extra goodbye."

 

Devil, I'm sure you're right about the 4-5% of the parents---which is about the same percentage of batshit sports parents.

But as they say, one rotten apple........

 

the three shockey boys did the sleepaway camp thing at various times. the middle guy loved it the most. a natural. the most social of the boys.

they went to the same camp that several of their friends went to. it was interesting to see how the parents dealt with it. actually, all the parents were cool. except a divorced couple with the most obnoxious hubby. a reall a--hole. teaches his boys money gets you anything you want -- would take the boys to the dropoff point where they're bussed to camp and the guy would immediately tip the counselors for helping load the bags onto the bus, etc.

anyway, the camp rules were no cell phones and no phone calls home for the first week. they gave both their boys cell phones and told the camp the boys were had asthma and needed their phones -- as if calling home in case of an attack was better than going to the infirmary. i mean, the parents were three hours away!

they'd also stock the kids with all kinds of candy and modern luxuries that made the boys reviled by their fellow campers.

not gonna get into the "jewish" side of the debate here, but it always galls me the special treatment some parents seek for their kids. let 'em breath, people. and let the camps do what they do for your darling "angels."

i mean, what are some parents trying to do? prove they "love" their kids the most? it's all yukky.

 

Paging 21. 21 to the counselors' office.