<p>Son went to camp in Maine. Parents’ Info Booklet had a section on tipping - it was allowed. It was expressed very graciously. When son worked there as a counselor, he was tipped. </p>
<p>I think it is a practice that varies depending on the individual camp, not necessarily the area.</p>
<p>When it comes to overnight camp, it sounds like policies vary from camp to camp, but in our experience this isn’t strictly a regional thing. One of my kids went to camp in the Northeast, the other in the Midwest. Both were long-time campers and both returned to their respective camps as counselors. We did not tip when they were campers, and neither kid received tips as counselors.</p>
<p>Day camp was a slightly different matter. Although we didn’t give our kids’ counselors cash tips, at the end of the camp season we gave each counselor a small thank-you gift – something like a Starbucks or BB&B gift card. One of my kids was also a day camp counselor for several years. She often received small gifts at the end of the season along with nice notes. Never a tip, and I’m certain that if she had been given money,it would have made her terribly uncomfortable. It’s just not the custom here.</p>
<p>A few years ago, on another discussion board, I first heard of this. It is very regional and perhaps even camp specific in that region. I even checked the parents manual of the sleep away camp my boys attend and it explicitly said no tips. </p>
<p>I then called the directors of two of the day camps I used (am using) for my daughter and asked about tips. No and no was the answer I received from both of them.</p>
<p>I have never heard of this, but my kid never went to overnight camp. I was a counselor at an upscale overnight camp in Virginia when I was in college and I never even considered that I might get a tip. I probably would have been uncomfortable taking it. I felt sorry for the kids who were sent to camp for more than a couple of weeks back then. I never knew how common overnight camps were until I moved north and discovered that kids went to camp for almost the entire summer - willingly it seems.</p>
<p>I always figured (and my Ds, too) that if you chose to work as a camp counselor, you were going to make almost no money for the summer. That is just the way it is. Sure, camp counselors work hard, but you are also AT CAMP for the summer. Seems to me that has always been the draw (and perk) of that job, not the pay. I think there are some upscale camps where tipping is common, but I bet tipping is not done at 95%+ of the camps in the US. Unless the camp booklet for parents explicitly said tipping was okay, it would not occur to me. We, by the way, are a “camp” family – between my siblings and kids, we have attended or been counselors about 10 sleepaway different camps, and a bunch of day camps… and have never tipped or been tipped. And feel no concern about it.</p>
<p>It’s not like being a waiter. My sons recently worked as camp counselors at the same sleep-away camp they attended for years. Most of the other counselors were lifelong friends they have made through camp. Camp is family to them. They love being able to give back where they received so much. They also do have break times and down times where they get to hang out with their friends. It’s an experience where they are forming relationships with campers that will last, the way their relationships with their counselors have lasted. The intangibles they have received are far more valuable than any monetary tip they could receive.</p>
<p>Never, ever heard of tipping, but my experience is not with private camps, but those for scouts. DD also went to some academic camps: one in the Midwest and two in Maryland. It never occured to me to tip.</p>
<p>I would hate to think that my child’s treatment would depend on a tip or be influenced by that. Kinda scary.</p>
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<p>Issues of camp policy and local custom aside, there are plenty – plenty – of high school and college-age kids who have NO jobs at all this summer. Kids who have jobs, even jobs low-wage jobs, can consider themselves fortunate in this economy. Perhaps some perspective is in order. </p>
<p>Concur with mimk’s Post 26.</p>
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This is the problem with tipping. Imagine how the little campers of non-tipping parents might get treated by the unhappy counselors next year.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of tipping counselors and my kids have been/are counselors. My fear is that if tipping counselors is an expectation, it will be a reason for camps which are quite expensive for the most part, to pay counselors even less. I would prefer to pay more for the camp than deal with tipping counselors.</p>
<p>as many other posters here, my two girls went to private day camps (tips encouraged and guidelines sent home to parents prior to end of camp) and sleepaway camp (NO tips allowed; ever…)</p>
<p>My younger daughter is now working at a day camp; no guidelines given at all; counselor salaries on the low end in this area (but, yes, we are thrilled she has a job!!!)…some counselors have reported that they received as much as $500 last summer…at the end of the last week (end of first four weeks), very little tipping going on…</p>
<p>So, I guess it’s all over the board…I do think that there should be some sort of “policy” on the part of the camp directors in general; many people do not know what is customary…</p>
<p>What is different about tipping a hairdresser or someone who does you nails as opposed to a camp counselor?</p>
<p>My daughter is a camp counselor, not a private camp, same camp for several years and it is customary to be tipped by parents. Not everyone does it. My daughter was at same camp when she was young and I tipped the bus monitors and the counselors only after i found out that other parents were doing it. i was suprised myself, but it does make sense to do it. Not easy taking care of 8-10 smallcampers everyday.
Unfortunately not all the parents do it. She gets a flat rate for the summer and itworks out to be about 5.00/hr. Below minimum wage. She does a lot of things on her own, like decorations for their themes, that she pays out of pocket. She does it because she likes working with children, not for the money. She comes home exhausted and drained every eve. She goes above and beyond the call of duty and it is nice that the parents appreciate it. last year the counselors didn’t make much because of the economy and they all chipped in and had an end of year pizza party for themselves. Hardly the lap of luxury.
I have friends whose daughters work for private camps and they get a lot in tips.</p>
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<p>This is nice and lovely but we all receive things that are more rewarding the money. yes you cannot put a price tag on things,but realistically in this economy, its tough for everyone and college costs are high and its nice when our children get paid. No one works for free unless you are a volunteer.</p>
<p>Maybe the message should be, “Parents, discreetly inquire from the camp administration whether tipping is allowed, and if it is, tip those counselors”? </p>
<p>It’s definitely the norm around here for day camps, and both of my older two kids have been tipped well over the years. </p>
<p>For my oldest, who did indoor sports camps a lot, there was no set policy at any one where she worked. She was tipped in cash, gift cards, and some great homemade cards from the kids. For my older son, there’s not only a set policy but a system under which parents all give tips to one adult in the administration, who pools and distributes the tips when camp is over. (It’s an instructional day camp, so nobody’s really under the wing of any single counselor for long stretches of time.)</p>
<p>I definitely tipped the counselors when my older two were campers, and I certainly tip them now when my youngest attends camps. (He also draws them pictures.) But again, it’s the norm around here.</p>
<p>“What is different about tipping a hairdresser or someone who does you nails as opposed to a camp counselor?”</p>
<p>Do you consider camp a service? I do tip for service: hairdresser, waiter/waitress, pedicure/manicure, pizza delivery, movers.</p>
<p>I do not tip flower delivery because there is a hefty delivery fee, and I was not the person who ordered them. Perhaps others disagree.</p>
<p>Frankly, I would prefer NOT to allow my S or D to attend a camp where tipping was permitted.</p>
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IMO, there is a service aspect to camp.</p>
<p>Providing care, safety, activities, taking children to the bathroom, to the pool, tending to individual needs of children, helping them pack up their belongings, helping them set up for their lunch or snacks. Providing emotional and physical support. Honoring requests by parents, etc.
Just like any other service, if I didn’t like the service or they didn’t seem interested in doing the little extra then I would not tip.</p>
<p>BTW, tipping is usually done the last day of camp. So its not like anyone get special treatment because of a tip.</p>
<p>I never heard of this.</p>
<p>I don’t even get how this would work. At the camps my kids went to, they did not spend all their time with the same counselors, it depended on the activities they chose. Swimming, multiple sports, art and crafts, dining hall, cabin, etc, all had different people. My kids probably came into contact with 30 people or more during the week. The only one(s) I ever met were the one in their cabin/dorms. Of the people I see at checkin/checkout, I have no idea which if any will work/worked with my kid during the week. </p>
<p>So how do I figure out who to tip?</p>
<p>I don’t consider camp a service. It’s more like any EC activity for kids such as ballet lessons, sports, piano lessons, etc. The fee covers the activity. While I give my son’s piano teacher a small gift a the holidays, I do it because she is an individual whom we have a one-on-one relationship with. But I don’t tip her. I did not tip the people who ran after-school classes at our school, etc. nor did I know anyone who did. We don’t tip underpaid teachers. We used to give class gifts, but the school worried that teachers with richer parents or more involved parents would get more and other teachers would feel hurt. We still did it, but with some reasonable guidelines which included not giving money. I guess I agree that people should go with what’s customary in their area. Here it is unheard of.</p>
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I guess one difference is that the person in control of the tipping is not the person who benefits or suffers as the result of the tip or non-tip. I wouldn’t want to worry that my kid’s well being while away at camp was dependent upon the size of the tip I provided. It would be better if the camp just paid an appropriate wage.</p>
<p>If the parents can afford generous tips, then they can afford to pay more for camp so the counselors will make more. I would rather pay more than to wonder about the tipping situation - am I paying enough, too much or will there be discussion among the counselors as to who is a better tipper?</p>