Does anybody else’s kids cry when they get picked up from camp? I’m glad that Bubba and Ri-ri had a good time for the last two weeks, but do they really need to seem so mournful about going home? I guess it’s understandable, given that the camp they attend has been working for 70 years to figure out how to make every minute of every day fun for kids. They already had it down pretty well when I was a camper there. My dad said it was pretty fun for him, too.

Despite the long faces, having the older two kids back was quite a Father’s Day present. The new stripy swim trunks are pretty good, too.

Coop’s camp experience has been a bit more dicey. He’s at hebrew camp at the Jewish Community Center this week and he’s been a bit droopy heading out the door the last few days. His best buddy has been there with him, and the JCC is entirely familiar to him, so we’re a bit puzzled about why he’s not tugging me out the door every morning, like he did for his previous camp.

Could it be that he’s not Jewish?

Our main criterion in choosing the camp: great facilities, vetted and trained staff, rave reviews from friends. We knew that there would be challenges of packing vegetarian (kosher) lunches and some unfamiliar songs and prayers, but these seemed like cultural bonuses to us. But I guess to a six-year-old not knowing the words so familiar to the other campers can put you on a frightening island. Maybe it’s a valuable lesson on what it feels like to be outside the majority, but it’s almost certainly an uncomfortable one.

Would you sign your kid up for a camp that was outside your faith or cultural tradition? What do you perceive to be the pros and cons?