The Princess didn't make but three days at sleep away camp before I received
the phone call from the staff.
They usually give children a few more days to get over being homesick but the Princess refused to eat. I guess children starving to death doesn't look good on the happy camper website.
I arrived to pick her up and was met at the gate with the head honcho and the nurse. Both wanted me to "help" them talk her into staying.
I really did want the kid to have a good time and if she was just having a little adjustment problem, I told them I would be happy to assess the situation and not automatically take her home. I am not one of those parents who feel like if the kid committed to sleep away camp, they should tough it out even if homesick. The idea is to have fun, and if she isn't, I don't see the point of having her stay and be miserable.
When they brought her to me she seemed okay. She didn't burst into tears or anything. I told the nurse I would like to speak to her alone. For some reason she wasn't happy about this but left anyway.
I asked the Princess what she liked about camp and what she didn't like etc.
The weird part is that she was whispering..
I liked canoeing but that was about it. I didn't like the games and the kids in my tent are too loud. The food is fine but my tummy hurts all the time from being so upset and I can't eat. I really just want to go home. I miss you and don't like it here
As she was telling me this, she kept looking towards the door.
"Princess, why are you whispering?"
In my ear "They told me I have to tell you that I am having a great time and liked everything about camp but am just homesick"
My heart jumped when I heard this...
WTF? Do they work on commission?
Any thought of leaving her went out the window. I don't know what the hell their motivation was to do that but it was a bad choice. Telling a kid to lie to their parents?
She lost 6 pounds. The Princess is already underweight for her age and she essentially lost 15% of her body weight in three days.
I think they probably should have called me a tad sooner, don't you?
So she is happily home and I now have to figure out what to do with the little shit every day until school starts.
It's always something.
17 comments:
Bless her heart. She missed you sunshiny self! ;)
That is pretty effed up they tried to make her say that. I would have been furious, as I bet you are.
Have fun trying to keep her entertained!
You did the right thing by pulling her out, but I would have left some dammage behind - they would have needed the nurse.
I suggest you work out a deal with her. She can be a big girl and stay at home if she doesn't do stupid stuff and get into trouble, or you can tie her up and put her in a closed till you get home. Her choice!
That is really awful - both that she lost so much weight and they encouraged her to lie to you! Deplorable!
I forgot to mention when I was talking to them about the weight thing the head honcho said:
"You should have TOLD us she has an eating problem and we would have watched her more carefully"
I offered that she DOES NOT have an eating problem and maintains her weight just fine when she doesn't feel like she is being held hostage.
You are shitting us, right? Man I'd report them for telling your child to lie, unbelievable!!
And you let them LIVE? I'm sure you gave them more than a piece of your mind...and I don't think you're done yet. The more you think about it, the madder you're gonna get. I'm sorry she went through that...now make THEM sorry so they won't do it to another kid.
oh, shit, christine...anna couldnt have a better mom to take care of this shit for her! i hate that this happened! not only is it gonna look bad for them, it's going to reinforce all the bad things some of her friends moms think about sleep-away camps!
Wow, I would have flipped out. Nice restraint. You little girl will always remember "the day Mom rescued me from camp" for the rest of her life :)
They obviously have a problems, nit you or your little girl. I think I would have had about the same reaction with those statements.
Of course, I have to remember that awful song about camp...Hello Mudder, Hello Father....
Holy shit. That is awful. She lost SIX pounds?!? I'm with you do they working on fucking commission or something? You already paid for the week what do they care if she stays or goes? I mean it's great that they want her to stay but to try and get her to lie about it is just crazy.
You are a great mom. I will remember this post if I am ever faced with a similar situation. I think I would have probably leaned towards the "tough it out" stance.
hi chris I am sorry if this question seems a little ob scure or weird but....
if 15% of princesses weight is 6 pounds that would mean princess weighs less than 40 pounds. Is that right?
Other than that if that lying about why shit happened to my niece or nephew I would bulldoze that camp into an unpleasant and distant memmory...
So basically I would say nice restraint but fuck em hard and often but not in the good way
Princess left weighing 52 pounds, came back weighing 45.6 pounds. So I guess if we are going to be absolutely accurate that would be about 12 percent. (or around..Razor, you can do the exact math and get back to me :-)
No I wasn't really worried about the math it just sseemed really small to me
My seven year old niece is 68 pounds and all legs and arms not hardly a thing to her
Of course she is tall for her age too I think so maybe thats the difference
Anna is tiny. AND she just grew out of toddler size shoes. LOL Too bad she isn't interested in gymnastics or ballet. She has the perfect build for it. Although she does get to be the top of the cheerleading pyramid.
Funny my nieces name is Anna as well
That is really scary. If they are having kids lie to their parents, you have to wonder what else might be going on. Good thing you took her out.
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