So true! A lot of these camps and activities are things that only well off families can afford. I know plenty of people who didn’t go on a plane until they were in their 20’s or even 30’s. They figured it out…not flying on a plane as a child, didn’t seem to hinder them in any way.
My kids worked part-time, we travelled and toured colleges together as a family, they made their own appointments as teenagers, etc. We don’t have public transportation in our area, that didn’t seem to hinder my D when she studied abroad in the UK in college, she figured it out. I don’t think touring colleges with your kids hinders their independence. Same with kids not going to summer camps. Also, I don’t think summer camp necessarily makes kids more independent. Some kids might be independent in some ways and not independent in others. People figure stuff out, not everyone gets to have every experience. Most people don’t travel much anyway…
In my day parents didn’t seem to overthink this sort of thing…