4 weeks of camp in the summer holidays

[Tenits]

DC Age 12, 8 weeks of summer holidays. 4 weeks spent at international sports camps, 2 weeks on holiday with family, 2 weeks at home.
AIBU to think this is ridiculous!

What's the problem with these arrangements?

I have no idea what your post is about. Yabu.

What's ridiculous about it?
Lucky child (unless they hate the camp).

If it’s your child stop sending them away if it’s not working for you? If it’s someone else’s child just mind your own business

The child being away from there parents in a different country for 50% of the school holidays, getting no real down time, no opportunity to be bored, no opportunity to just hang out with school friends, limited rest time.

Its not like they are being sent down the mines for 4 weeks is it? Presumably they are also over 10 if competing internationally?
Not ridiculous

Sounds a lot of fun to me !

This isn’t for competitive sports. The child doesn’t compete in these sports, but they are summer sports and not easily accessible in the UK.

It’s my DSC so I don’t get a say on the arrangements, but it does impact how much time we get as a family.

Child’s parents obviously think they are doing what’s best. Is child really unhappy with the situation?

I did this sort of thing, didn't do me any harm. Learning independence from your parents is an underrated skill that a lot of kids leave home without. I loved my camps, it was time to be social, feel a bit grown up, blow off some steam, and it meant my parents weren't having to take huge chunks of time off work. I have zero negative memories from them.

Sounds brilliant... I'm sure they will get free time at the camp to hang out with friends and make their own fun whilst having funa activities planned through the day

Then the family holiday and 2 weeks at home to have a bit of chill time, I think it sounds great

Okay fair enough.
I just think it is crazy a 12 year old will finish school on the Friday, fly out as an unaccompanied minor on the Sunday, not return until 2 weeks later on the Saturday. Have 1 week at home, go on holiday for 2 weeks, have another week at home then fly back out to a different camp for the same set up, return on the Saturday and go back to school on the Tuesday.
They will also only get 2 weeks with each parent.

I’d have loved it at that age

Is the child happy to do this ?

Some kids would love this. Some feel lonely inside but hide it well. A bit like going to boarding school but having new people around you and enforced cheerfulness can make it worse.

but you can’t change it so best help the child make the most of it.

How does this affect you?

@PinkyFlamingo
It’s her stepchild

The child is looking forward to the sports, has asked if they have to be two weeks but has been told in no uncertain terms it will be the full two weeks and short of being very unwell they will not be allowed home early.
This child spends hardly any time with either parent, 50/50 custody arrangement. Both parents don’t finish work until 6pm on week days, child then has sports from 7-9 3 weekdays.
Weekends include Saturday morning sports, 1 Sunday a month with each set of grandparents (so effectively only 2 Saturday afternoons and 1 Sunday a month with each parent.

Have you posted about this before? If not there was someone in very similar circumstances a few months ago.
Any siblings? My DC is an only and would love that arrangement as they find being at home without company their own age really boring and I don’t want them sat on screens

I haven’t no. They have one brother who is 2 years older, not doing any camps, but is a generally unsporty child.

Are both parents on board with this arrangement?

If they’re happy with this and everyone can afford it then I can’t see any issue. 12 is a tricky age - can’t always leave them to their own devices all day and too old for most day camps or childcare.

I send mine to camp - 8yo, 2 weeks. When they are older they will have the opportunity to do longer if they choose, and I wouldn’t blink about a 12 yo doing 2x 2 week camp sessions with a week in between at home.

In my home country where school holidays are longer it is fairly normal for kids to go to camp for 6-9 weeks over the summer (out of 12 weeks total). It can be pretty transformative for a preteen to have time away from parents in a structured and safe environment, and the kids I know who do this look forward to it all year and many maintain correspondence with ‘camp friends’ when back at home.

Most of us don’t have enough leave to cover the holidays anyways so between the options of local holiday club -which is mostly for younger children, staying home and playing on tablets, or sleepaway camp, I am pretty okay with mine having amazing adventures without me for some of the summer.

This sounds fine to me OP. My niece used to do 1 week of snowboarding camp before Christmas, another in February half term, 1 week tennis camp in the easter holidays, 2 weeks multiport's/beach volleyball camp and 2 weeks surf camp in the summer. Her private school had 8 weeks summer holidays, 3 weeks for Easter and Christmas and 1 week half terms, my brother was a single dad (his wife passed when their daughter was small) and just didn't have enough holidays to cover it. She's a very well adjusted adult now!