A friend of mine is shipping her very young son (maybe 8 years old) to 7 weeks of sleep away camp in a few days.

I mentioned to her to find out if he can call, because one camp I went to it was forbidden, and I was very upset. I had been to sleep away before, and I called probably once or twice a week. Calling helped to ward off home sickness for me.

She replied to me the kids don’t talk to their parents unless there is a problem. She said she trusts they will take good care of her kid. I was taken care of, I just wanted to talk to my parents for two minutes! Not letting me made me hate the camp, and I already wasn’t loving it, which was part of the reason I wanted to call my parents. “Luckily,” I got sick with a fever, and when the nurse called my parents my dad heard me begging to talk to them. He was furious with the camp! He had no idea I couldn’t call if I was unhappy.

I don’t think I’d send my kid to a camp with that policy.