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Kierasmom
I love my kids
Member since 5/05 2885 total posts
Name:
Jenn
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Tipping camp counselors?
What's your opinion on tipping camp counselors? DD went to camp 2 days a week for 4 weeks. The camp actually sent home a paper regarding appropriate gratuity guidelines with suggestions of how much to tip the counselors and volunteers. This kind of annoyed me as I don't like to be told how much to tip somebody. We paid about $650 for her 4 week program and I'm just not so sure that I want to tip over $100 to counselors and volunteers. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Would you tip and if so how much?
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Posted 8/13/08 10:21 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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my3bugs
Mom of 2 Boys
Member since 5/05 4381 total posts
Name:
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
I know I got the same letter and my son went the same amount of time as your daughter. I was so surprised to get this letter.
Today is his last day and last night I was writing out my tip envelopes and like what the heck? I was a camp counsleor before and never got a tip!! Never mind I am suppose to tip a CIT??? On top of it - I have no clue who any of these people are besides the lead counselor - although my son talks of the lady who is very nice to him but I have yet to met her.
I used their guidelines and only tipped his group - and adjusted it according to the amount of time he went (I assumed he went a 1/4 of what the camp offered and basically 1/4 all the suggested tips). I didn't get into all the craft, special activity, etc. I wanted to tip the pool person but it listed 5 different people and I have no clue who worked with him and neither does my son so I didn't bother. I said he went there 8 days in total - most probably have no clue who he is.
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| Posted 8/14/08 7:25 AM |
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AOMom
LIF Adolescent
Member since 11/06 856 total posts
Name:
j
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
My parents always tipped the senior and junior counselor. Everyone's parents did. Counselors barely make any money, so if you can afford it, it is a nice thing to do.
ETA: Don't hold the letter that the camp sent out against the poor counselors. Maybe the camp should have used more tact, but it's not the counselors fault.
Message edited 8/15/2008 7:05:17 AM.
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:06 AM |
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JRD2008
CT. here we come!!
Member since 5/08 2944 total posts
Name:
Kathleen
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
Posted by Rooster
My parents always tipped the senior and junior counselor. Everyone's parents did. Counselors barely make any money, so if you can afford it, it is a nice thing to do.
I agree. But I also think it is sort of tacky to hand out tip letters, because not everyone can afford the same thing.
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:07 AM |
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cjb88
Little Brother
Member since 5/05 3540 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
As a former camp counselor, I think that it is really great if you can afford to tip them... most camps do not pay a high salary and the tips are what makes the job worth while... I have been everything from a jr counselor to a specialist- as a specialist i really didnt receive as many tips, but i did get a higher salary- but there were some families of children who i spent a lot of time with over the summer who did give me a small gift or a tip
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:09 AM |
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CathyB
Member since 5/05 19403 total posts
Name:
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
DD went 3 days a week for 6 weeks, we paid about $1800 between tuition, camp clothes & lunch (which she wouldn't eat and I sent in lunch every day anyway  ) Now we're shelling out almost $150 in tips, but I feel like I have to since she goes there for nursery school and it's awkward. Especially since the office takes all the envelopes and gives them to the counselors so they know who tipped and who didn't. 
Posted by Niecey
I know I got the same letter and my son went the same amount of time as your daughter. I was so surprised to get this letter.
I was SOOOO annoyed by that letter. They didn't give tip "suggestions" at the end of the school year and those teachers spent A LOT more time with dd than the camp counselors did. Plus I felt like camp was so disorganized compared to the school program. Don't think we'll be going to camp there again even though I really like the school program. 
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:19 AM |
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MrsR
My love.
Member since 5/05 6247 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
I also got a letter - and actually appreciated it because I had NO idea what the right amount of money to tip was.
I always feel that if my child is well taken care of then I am happy to compensate whomever took care of her (counselor/teacher/babysitter for example).
My daughter went 3 days a week for 6 weeks. They suggested a dollar range for each person. I took the higher # - divided it by 5 (since it was suggested for a child that went 5 days a week) and then multiplied it by 3 (the amount of days my DD went) and that was what I gave.
When I was a camp counselor I always got tips - and I didn't have to deal with diapers, changing the kids for swim time, sunblock, temper tantrums, etc... since I always had older kids.
eta: At my school we contribute a lot more money to the teachers during holiday time and the end of the year. and her school is $$$$ - but like I said I see it as a small price to pay for someone who spends so much time teaching and caring for my child.
Message edited 8/14/2008 8:29:42 AM.
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:28 AM |
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CathyB
Member since 5/05 19403 total posts
Name:
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
Posted by MrsR
I also got a letter - and actually appreciated it because I had NO idea what the right amount of money to tip was.
I always feel that if my child is well taken care of then I am happy to compensate whomever took care of her (counselor/teacher/babysitter for example).
My daughter went 3 days a week for 6 weeks. They suggested a dollar range for each person. I took the higher # - divided it by 5 (since it was suggested for a child that went 5 days a week) and then multiplied it by 3 (the amount of days my DD went) and that was what I gave.
When I was a camp counselor I always got tips - and I didn't have to deal with diapers, changing the kids for swim time, sunblock, temper tantrums, etc... since I always had older kids.
eta: At my school we contribute a lot more money to the teachers during holiday time and the end of the year. and her school is $$$$ - but like I said I see it as a small price to pay for someone who spends so much time teaching and caring for my child.
I agree with you, and I was the only parent in dd's class who gave gifts to the specials teachers at the holidays and end of school year, but I think it's b@lls to send me a list of every camp employee with a "suggested" tip and leave it up to me to try to get it out of my 3yo which of the 5 pool people worked with her. Especially knowing that it's not their policy for the nursery school program.
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| Posted 8/14/08 8:35 AM |
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HeathKernandez
Our Ron is an awesome Ron
Member since 4/07 9091 total posts
Name:
baby fish mouth
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
I went through this not too long ago... The camp had 'suggested' tips...
My problem was my son had (in total)
2 baseball counselors
1- recreation counselor
2- swim counselors
1- bus counselor
1- bus driver to tip...
They suggest you tip per session... my son went for 2- week sessions...
I didn't realize the 1 recreation counselor was not my son's baseball counselors so the first session I didn't tip them... I tipped the recreation counselor 20 dollars and sent in 16 dollars to the swim ones... 10 dollars for the bus counselor and 10 for the driver.
the SECOND session I gave EACH of his baseball counselors 20 dollars (because I forgot to tip them the first session), 10 for the rec counselor & 10 each for the swim...
10 each for the bus driver & counselor..
I feel violated (haha not really) but I never realized there would be an additional 150+ dollars on top of the tuition.
I figure, I'm able to do it, money is tight these days, but we're not starving... and these kids did a GREAT job...
Its a hard pill to swallow.
my son has one more session left
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| Posted 8/14/08 9:09 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
Posted by MrsR
I also got a letter - and actually appreciated it because I had NO idea what the right amount of money to tip was.
I always feel that if my child is well taken care of then I am happy to compensate whomever took care of her (counselor/teacher/babysitter for example).
My daughter went 3 days a week for 6 weeks. They suggested a dollar range for each person. I took the higher # - divided it by 5 (since it was suggested for a child that went 5 days a week) and then multiplied it by 3 (the amount of days my DD went) and that was what I gave.
When I was a camp counselor I always got tips - and I didn't have to deal with diapers, changing the kids for swim time, sunblock, temper tantrums, etc... since I always had older kids.
eta: At my school we contribute a lot more money to the teachers during holiday time and the end of the year. and her school is $$$$ - but like I said I see it as a small price to pay for someone who spends so much time teaching and caring for my child.
I agree.
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| Posted 8/14/08 9:54 AM |
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luvmyReese
Hello Kitty
Member since 1/08 7542 total posts
Name:
Catt
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
I did not tip the counselors @ my son's camp.
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| Posted 8/14/08 10:09 AM |
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Kierasmom
I love my kids
Member since 5/05 2885 total posts
Name:
Jenn
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
I just feel as another poster said that at schools they don't hand out a suggested tip sheet so why is it ok to do that for a camp? I understand counselors don't get paid well but I just think it could have been handled better. If they wanted to send out a sheet saying gratuities are much appreciated and here are the names of the counselors that worked with your child I would have been fine with that. But to give me a sheet stating the "suggested" amount of a tip IMO is just tacky. I had planned on doing something for the counselors that I knew but after getting this I felt like what I was going to do was less than the suggested amount so why bother? Plus like I said she only went 8 times!
She goes to gymnastics once a week for the last 2 years and I don't get anything at the end of each semester about tipping her gymnastics instructor. I do try to give something to teachers and her gymnastics instructors when I can but I shouldn't be made to feel that it is expected of me.
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| Posted 8/14/08 10:28 PM |
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MrsR
My love.
Member since 5/05 6247 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
When I was considering how much to tip I called the camp to find out what would be appropriate.
Maybe the camp gets a lot of these calls and handing out a letter is just an easier way for them to handle it.
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| Posted 8/15/08 6:24 AM |
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2girlsforme
LIF Adult
Member since 8/06 3071 total posts
Name:
XXXXXXXXX
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Re: Tipping camp counselors?
Posted by MrsR
When I was considering how much to tip I called the camp to find out what would be appropriate.
Maybe the camp gets a lot of these calls and handing out a letter is just an easier way for them to handle it.
Actually, I think you are probably right, because my camp prefaces the tipping chart letter with exactly this statement.
ETA: The suggested amounts usually work out to a $1, a day, per counselor. So, if your child attended 8 weeks, 5 days a week, $40, is a typical tip.
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| Posted 8/15/08 7:36 AM |
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