Which summer camp should I send my daughter to?

How do I get the older kids to stop picking on my daughter at summer camp?

• Well my daughter, Kara is 8 years old and a few kids at her day summer camp around the age of 11-12 have been picking on her. (verbally harrassing her, and pushing her, ect) I have told the day camp supervisor and he said that he has contacted their parents but it still doesn't seem to help. Yesterday on the bus (she rides the bus to and from camp, the kids ride on her bus) they pulled her hair and teased her. I know most of you would say "pull her out of the camp" if I did not pay 300 dollars for the summer, i would take her out. After they pushed her from the bus, I called the supervisor again and told them that if the problem persisted, they would need to give me a refund so that I could take her out. They said that they could not do that but they will "talk to the kids in question." How can make the kids quit bullying her? I do not want to have to send her to camp for another 2 months just for her to be miserable.

• Answer:

  Yes, I was going to tell you to pull her - obviously you can't. As an outsider, I would say the same as the others, she has to learn to stand up for herself. But how do you teach that? Find out if the girls are just bullies in general or if it's just her alone they're picking on. If they pick on other girls too, perhaps you can speak to the parents of the other "victims" and then as a group lodge a complaint. In addition, I would write an email (put it in writing) of the problems your daughter is having at the camp and make sure the supervisor responds. You need proof that he was aware of the issue. I would also see if I could get the names of the girls in question, put their name in the email. So you know that he knows specifically who is the problem. In addition, find out if he has a supervisor...and cc him on the email also. As a mother tho...my crazy a... would drive her to the camp one day and look the girls in the eye MYSELF. Make sure I get their names and warn them to leave my kid alone. Then I would threaten the counselors - you need to make it a personal problem for them, if you can get some parental involvement too - that might be the end of it. (of course, none of my own actions probably won't help, but it is good set up for what I would tell you next) Your daughter needs to defend herself. Maybe she can sit with other kids her age on the bus or perhaps near the bus driver? I would also think about talking to the driver, if he's seen anything etc. Anyway, after trying to avoid a fight. Should it become physical - advise your daughter to hold the hair of the kid closest to her - and punch kick and basically channel all the negative energy of Hannah not on tv anymore, she can't get pony etc and beat the crap out of that one person - just the one. She should be able to come home bruised maybe, but with a clump of hair in her little hand and some respect from others. Hope it works out..I think tho, if all these things come to pass (hopefully not) - but if they do, you might have to just bite the bullet - take note of every abuse, every hair pulled, every bruise she might get, a statement from the bus driver - pull her and then take the camp to court. I think all of our kids got to learn how to deal with these situations though - I'm dreading when mine comes up against it. Good luck