Dad Blames The Sleepaway Camp After Discovering His 10-Year-Old Didn’t Shower For 2 Weeks
A little dirt is the sign of a summer well-spent.
WESTOCK PRODUCTIONS / Shutterstock Summer vacation is one of the few times that kids get to just be kids, without the pressures of waking up early, sitting in class, or doing homework.
It’s no surprise that some kids go a little feral during their time off from school, but one dad worried that his daughter went too far while she was away at camp.
The dad blamed the sleepaway camp after discovering that his 10-year-old didn’t shower for 2 weeks.
He wrote to the r/parenting subreddit to air his grievances, noting that he blamed the camp for the lack of showers more than his child.
“Are we wrong?” he asked. “Are the camp policies the norm?”
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He explained that his daughter doesn’t have a problem with showering while she’s at home, saying, “She is pretty good with it… She likes to be clean.”
Yet when he asked why she didn’t shower at camp, the young girl said there weren’t showers in the cabins, but rather, a separate space with a shower block that had private stalls.
She also said there was no specific schedule for showering, explaining that “It was left to each kid to decide on their own when and how.”
“From what she said, it sounded like she did not feel comfortable going on her own, with older kids or young teens sharing the same block and goofing around while there, and taking the initiative within her peer group,” the dad said.
“Together with a schedule packed with fun activities, her friends not worrying about it, and being on the shy side, she just did not shower.”
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The dad recalled his own time at sleepaway camp, noting that there was specific time set aside for showering.
In his own camp experience, “Counselors would also sort of create a safe space by enforcing a schedule with one cabin [or] group at a time.”
The dad was disappointed with the camp’s lack of structure or support around showering.
He was able to see both sides of the issue, saying, “It feels like our daughter should have taken better care of her own hygiene; she is almost 11, after all. At the same time, I kind of see the problem here; at that age I would also have had a hard time with that setting. I kind of blame the camp organizers.”
The dad shared that his wife had a conversation with one of the camp organizers, who was “apologetic” yet “very firm that their policies don't allow counselors to remind campers to shower and that they can't walk the campers to the shower block and are not responsible for their hygiene.”
“This seems crazy to me,” the dad said. “I was expecting the camp and counselors to have a minimum duty to ensure good care of the kids, and hygiene is part of it.”
He listed off various issues that come from not showering, like tick bites, infections, and a general smelliness.
“To me, it's almost crossing the line of neglect here,” the dad said before wondering, “Are we out of line here?”
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Other parents shared that they’d gone through a similar experience with their camp-bound kids.
“My kids are the same way,” said one parent. “They may shower once or twice, but usually they’re just gross when they get home… That’s part of the fun of camp.”
“Maybe she didn't feel comfortable and that's okay!” Another parent said.
Someone else explained that counselors might remind younger kids to shower, but for older kids, it was their responsibility to manage their own time to get clean.
The dad edited his original post to clarify that he wasn’t expecting anyone at the camp to force the kids to shower; he was just expecting “more of a schedule.”
He noted that his daughter had fun, which ultimately is the most important part. He also mentioned that they would “work with her for the next year to take better care of her hygiene, but let her enjoy the time there with or without showers.”
The fact that the dad was flexible enough to accept the camp’s response shows that his priorities are in the right place.
There are worse things than coming home from camp smelling like lake water and bug spray, and sometimes, a little dirt is a sign of a really great summer.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.