Parents Flipfest for 8 year old. What have I done?

[gymmomtotwo]

Just signed my 8 year old up for Flipfest. Her coaches are flying with them and bringing her and other team members to the camp. Please tell me this is age appropriate. I have visions of her getting lost in the airport, drowning in the lake, falling apart after a few days of a 10:30 bedtime. She will be with teammates. They are all 10 and older, but she is mature and good friends with them. They are also very protective of her as the youngest in their training group. The female coach will be in the cabin with them and is an experienced mom..She wanted to go last year but I told her she was too young. I can't travel with, because I have two other kids in another sport that they can't miss at that time for a week. I really want her to have this experience, but am in a bit of a panic.

 

[cbifoja]

Mine went alone at age 7 and it wasn't a great experience. But I think having all of those people around her will make it a great experience.

You did good, mom.

 

[B.Gold]

We sent our DD away to gym camp at 8 and she had a blast! The worst that happened is her brand new traveling toothbrush never came out of the cellophane. But she begged to go again the following year. Your DD will love it.

 

[2G1B]

My kids have gone the past two summers. The first summer my youngest had just turned 7. She did have her older brother and sister there; but no one else and she and her sister are like oil and water. ;-). All of the kids have loved it and I'm actually working on which week they are going right now.

 

[GYM0M]

Sent mine to camp three times at 8, no teammates, just coaches. She had a BLAST and is eager to go back this year!

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Thanks guys. Love the tooth brush story. She seemed surprised when I said she should shower every day. She was thinking swimming in the lake would take care of that! Don't really care if she is clean, just safe.

 

[GYM0M]

I forgot to pack a hairbrush once......but she had an umbrella and a jacket in August in Texas!!! Lol!

 

[bogwoppit]

Mine both started gym camp at 7, they loved it and would still go now if they could.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Last summer we sent 11 girls with one coach to a camp. Two of the girls were only 6 years old.
They had an absolute blast!!!! They have all been trying to recruit even more girls over this past year

She will be absolutely fine!!! Just be prepared to shell out the money again, because she will want to go back!!

 

[Dr Maleficent]

My dd went off to camp (ice skating) last year for 10 days at age 7. It was her idea and I kept thinking she would change her mind. She didn't know anyone else going. When we took her to the special bus which was taking them, we had to wait for ages for a family who was late. I was grumbling to some other parents that the delay would make her anxious and she would be scared and change her mind. The other mum interrupted me and said "Is that your daughter there?" I followed her gaze to the bus window to discover my 'traumatized' child bouncing up and down with excitement and grinning like a maniac. She had the time of her life.

 

[Dr Maleficent]

Double post!

 

[munchkin3]

I can't advise......my DD is 10 and still tries to sleep in our room.

 

[mommyof1]

A couple years ago I read an article that asked parents to think back to their fondest childhood memories, then answer a simple question: Were your parents there? For most people, the author argued, the answer is "no." We treasure those experiences where we had to be independent and learn to work things out for ourselves. I wish I could find the article to link it here, but I can't seem to track it down.

Kids are often ready to go to camp long before their parents are ready to let go and send them. If your child can handle sleepovers with friends or relatives, she wants to go, the camp program looks fun and engaging, and you trust the staffing and safety precautions, then this is a great opportunity for her and is completely age-appropriate. The key is to make sure that she is making her own decision to go and doesn't feel forced into it, and that the program is designed to keep her busy and safe. It will also help if she's been to day camp before. Not something clean and air-conditioned like chess camp or art camp, but a traditional YMCA or Girl Scout outdoor or semi-outdoor day camp where they have to change into and out of swimsuits, put on their own sunscreen, keep track of their own stuff all day, walk everywhere in a buddy line, etc.

My daughter spent a week at Girl Scout camp when she was 6 and had a blast. She went back for two weeks at age 7. This summer, at age 8, she is going to a college gym camp in another state. I was a little worried about sending her to a college camp, so last year when I started investigating college gym camps I called up the camp I was most interested in and asked a lot of detailed questions about the average age of the campers, the daily schedule, supervision in the dorms and on campus, etc. I am sure any reputable camp would be happy to answer these types of questions from the parents of a prospective camper, and asking might help to ease your mind.

It sounds like your daughter is well positioned to have a great time at camp--her teammates and coaches will be there, and FlipFest looks like tons of fun. By sending her, you will be giving her the gift of an amazing experience. You will probably be surprised by how much she learns and grows while she is at camp. This is a big moment for you as a parent too--enjoy watching your daughter spread her wings and fly, and be proud that you were brave enough to give her the chance!

 

[Anna's_Mom]

While I can't speak to the specifics of FlipFest, I can say that my DD (and DS too, for that matter) started attending sleep-away camp at age 8. While she did know the camp from church family weekends, she didn't know anyone there during the summer other than the director. She did just fine. Figure this camp has run for probably hundreds of sessions and it's still functioning, so they can't have too many kids that drown! Truly, good camps these days train all of the staff in so many safety protocols. She might be a little homesick but will most likely bounce back very quickly. And it will do great things for her self confidence.

A funny story -- my son's first week of sleep away camp when he was 8. He bounces up to us as we pick him up. "Mom, guess what? You won't have any extra laundry to do because I never changed my clothes!", with beaming pride. Needless to say, I didn't even bother trying to get them clean! But he had fun, was in one piece, very proud of his independence and has gone back every year since then.

 

[2G1B]

Ah yes... that first summer of flip fest for my youngest DD... I picked her up. She was in the FF leo I had bought her at drop off. I went to rub her hair and noticed it didn't feel clean (she is lucky that her hair always LOOKS clean; but it feels "off" if it is dirty). I said, "Um, when did you last shower???" She said, "Um, I think the day before you dropped me off. I swam in the lake several times though!" Then her sister pipes in, "And she has worn that leo EVERY DAY!" then younger DD says, "Yeah, well mom, the shower is nothing. You didn't pack me a toothbrush, I haven't brushed my teeth all week!"

Yeah, her tooth brush was in her shower bag that she NEVER OPENED!!!

She had a blast though. She wanted to stay for a second week. Their second summer she and my DS wanted to stay for 2 weeks. Older DD gets homesick though, she is just fine with only one week! (And they are NOT going for 2 weeks, it is just too much money!)