Parents, tip those camp counselors!

Parent Cafe
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<p>clarification: I think that one needs to understand a couple of things:</p>

<p>1) this happens at the end of the summer; counselors do not have any idea who is a “better tipper” </p>

<p>2) we are talking about camps that are set up by age group; chances are that even if you do work there again the following year, you will not have the same campers (and therefore, not necessary to compare)</p>

<p>3) totally agree with cartera45: actually a great idea…probably happens at many places with no one knowing…</p>

<p>4) correct me, OP, if I am wrong, but I think this is most common at traditional day camps?..not as much at sports, specialty, sleepaway etc…</p>

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<p>Actually, counselors may well know who the big tippers are because they talk. Often counselors have worked for more than one year. Also, siblings will follow in the footsteps of an older child. If they know someone is a big tipper either from a previous child or from hearing others talk, they may favor that child and do more for that child and the opposite is true if they know someone doesn’t tip. I think it’s problematic.</p>

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<p>^^I didn’t think of the sibling aspect…yes, I agree</p>

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<p>I agree with mimk6 in that underpaid camp counselors are no different than underpaid teachers. Should we tip all under paid workers that work with the public? Where do we draw the line and decide which individuals and/or jobs should involve tipping? Meanwhile, if tipping counselors becomes the norm, are camp owners making more money as it’s a reason to pay less to counselors? Are camp prices being discounted? I’m glad my kids are past the ages of needing summer camps. The expense of camp fees plus equipment is, to my mind, already pretty high.</p>

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<p>Teachers have a union to represent their interests,( usually), they have benefits- medical & pension, etc. Camp counselors don’t have a union, residential camp counselors ( in my experience) often don’t leave the camp except in between sessions- so they are on site most of time & they certainly don’t get paid overtime- they don’t even get paid by the hour, although they may be in charge of children with special needs that may be much more elaborate than what they were expecting. It isn’t unusual for parents to give their kids " a medication break", for the summer without informing staff.
( last year while D was taking a break- the person taking over her group allowed two kids to sit next to each other despite instructions & one stabbed the other one with a fork)</p>

<p>I’ve never heard of tipping either day or residential camp counselors before.</p>

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<p>I agree that overnight camp counselors have some aspect of “going to camp” as part of their compensation, and also are fed for the entire summer, but on the other hand they are on duty from early in the morning until all the campers are in bed, and also on call for middle of the night emergencies (hey, kinda like being a parent!), so I think their effective hourly wage is probably pretty low, even taking into account the food. </p>

<p>Day camp is a different story. D isn’t “going to camp” in any sense. She spends almost an hour each way on the bus, and can’t just snooze or read–she has to be monitoring the pick-ups and drop-offs full time and in fact first session was required to sit with a very adorable pre-schooler who didn’t stop yakking for 5 seconds–she was exhausted before she even arrived at camp! Then it’s a full day of running around in the heat (and boy, has it been hot this year) and engaging in numerous physical activities. She has older girls this year, but last summer she had 5-year-olds–just the sunscreen application process after each of the two daily swims was a major event! D loves kids and wouldn’t have taken this sort of job if she didn’t, but trust me–she’s a limp noodle by the time the bus drops her off. It’s a demanding job, and when I calculate her hours against her salary, the the pay is just at minmum wage. I don’t think there’s another job in town that pays that low. She does much better than that for ordinary babysitting.</p>

<p>As for the concern that campers may be treated/mistreated based on the tips counselors receive, I don’t think any counselor would last 10 minutes after engaging in that kind of behavior. At any decent camp, senior counselors (adults, often school teachers) and other supervisory staff keep a close eye on things and would never allow disparate treatment of campers. From the owner’s point of view, the potential to lose a paying customer is much too great. In fact, both my kids have often been frustrated by the fact that objectionable behavior by campers is rarely addressed for fear of parental wrath.</p>

<p>I agree that camps should address the tipping issue in their parent materials, but I know D’s camp director, and I think he feels he should be hands-off on the whole subject, though I don’t think he’s doing anyone, counselors or parents, any favors. I’d love to see everyone paid properly and tipping disappear completely in every arena–and don’t even get me started on the tip jars on take-out counters in coffee shops and ice cream parlors where the “personal service” involved is pouring some coffee from a spout or plopping some ice cream on a cone and then handing it to me.</p>

<p>Bottom line, based on what I’ve read here I’ll amend my original post: Parents, if you have a kid at camp, make it your business to find out the tipping policy/tradition, and if tipping is expected, reward those hard-working counselors for all they do to give your kid a safe and happy summer!</p>

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<p>I am thinking that I should have received tips for the five years I volunteered as a Girl Scout camp counselor and was the bus monitor. </p>

<p>I really disagree with the whole tipping concept. If camps don’t pay counselors well enough, they will have trouble finding counselors. If counselors don’t feel as though they are being well compensated, perhaps they should look for other summer work.</p>

<p>And many camps won’t address tipping because it would be offensive to many parents.</p>

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<p>I agree with MDmom. If kids aren’t being paid at least minimum wage, then that should be changed. if they are–well, welcome to summer work. No one i know, including mysel for my kids, made more than minimum wage at summer jobs. And we worked hard. We were just glad to have jobs.</p>

<p>I also don’t think that because someone performs a service, then that entails the necessity of tips. Clerks, crossing guards, ice cream truck drivers, all kinds of workers in underpaying non-profits, all perform services.</p>

<p>I just don’t get why kids in a day camp are any different. I do understand that there might be places or camps where this is expected, though this is the first i’ve heard of it, but it’s weird, and I sure would be put out to find it was expected of me (and I’d find another camp.)</p>

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<p>As it has been said before it is regional. I agree with mommaj.My daughter is exhausted after spending the day running after these children.</p>

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<p>S works 12-13 hour days working at a camp (9 days on and 3 days off). This year he is a early century interp and does mine tours, blacksmithing demo/workshop, and provides nightly musical entertainment to a daily rotating group of 30-100 people. He is without running water and electricity. I’m sure it would figure less than minimum wage. But the people who come pay lots of money for the experience. I wouldn’t expect any additional tipping on top of his room/board/wages despite constant exhaustion. Plus, he loves it there and won’t be able to wait to go back again next year.</p>

<p>ETA: to be fair, it is a different kind of camp than the others are talking about. No babysitting necessary.</p>

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<p>Lots of summer jobs are exhausting. This doesn’t mean that everyone deserves, or should expect, tips. Even in jobs that are more traditionally associated with tipping, the decision whether or not to give a tip is voluntary and is usually given at the time the service is offered. Parents aren’t at camp all day and thus, are not directly knowledgable as to who does or does not deserve a tip. If camps are expecting or encouraging tipping, this needs to be made absolutely clear to families when they sign up for the camp, and is probably best handled by a general tip contribution to be shared by staff, like many private clubs do to reward their staff. The bottom line, though is that kids should consider not only the salary but the nature of the work when they’re searching for summer jobs.</p>

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<p>…My daughter is exhausted after spending the day running after these children…</p>

<p>Isn’t that something you should take up with the camp organizers for a better pay? We don’t tip teachers or teacher assistants. Or camp counselors. I didn’t know we were expected to.</p>

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<p>Day camps are used by a lot of working mothers, particularly single mothers. They are often hard-pressed for money. I don’t know if this is the sort of day camps mommaJ’s daughter works at, but if it is, to expect tips is unreasonable.</p>

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<p>The hardest I ever worked in my life was as a camp counselor. I was in charge of the riding program so I was up at 6:30 every morning to bring in the horses, feed them and start grooming. I then led 5 trail rides a day with the last one ending at 8pm. Then there was the last feeding, more grooming and stall cleaning. I loved every minute of it though and it still never dawned on me to expect a tip. I was the most “powerful” counselor at the camp though because I decided which horse the kids rode. If these kids thought they could influence me in making that choice with tips, I probably could have made a small fortune.</p>

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<p>My kids have only attended Scout (boy & girl) and Y resident/sleepway camps and our town’s day camp. My D was a counselor at the GS day camp last summer and she received the minimum wage for seasonal employees, which is below regular minimum wage. The parent information for all of these camps includes a notes specifically prohibiting tips. I think several years ago, I bought a token $10 gift card for a day camp counselor that was great to my son. It was well received and not expected and the only time I have ever done this. </p>

<p>I’ve heard of the expensive private camps (day & resident) actively encourage tipping.</p>

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<p>Sorry, but to be clear, tips are NOT required nor expected. It is a nice gesture.It is actually a nice suprise by those parents who do tip. No amount ofmoney can compensate the care or making sure the campers have a good or positive camping experience. Some are more dedicated than others. Some go out of ther e way while others give what is required.
Teachers and teaching assistants are certifed and educated and it is clearly unacceptable to give them tips just the same as postal workers.Just as nurses and other healthcare professionals.</p>

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<p>I think most of the parents already do know the tipping policy / tradition at their kids’ camps – not expected, necessary, appropriate or customary. </p>

<p>No one has answered what are the parts of the country are we talking about here?</p>

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<p>Not according to the OP. People who don’t tip are “stiffing” the counselors.</p>

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<p>My daughter says she is not allowed to accept tips. It is overnight; about $50/“day”, GS camp in San Rafael .</p>

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<p>Pizzagirl, tipping is pretty common at a lot of overnight camps in the northeast. H went to camp in the Adirondacks (and later worked as a counselor), I went to camp in MA, and D went to camp in PA. It was common to tip the counselor(s) with whom your kids had become close.</p>