Remember that one time at band camp? Some of the best stories of our youth come from summer camp.
There are a multitude of camps that range from day camps, to weekends and even month-long camps. The camps range from sports, to performing arts, to your everyday outdoor activity camps.
The overly ambitious could send their child or teenager to a camp every day and still not run out of camps. The cost of summer camp is not cheap though, especially when it comes to specialty camps, such as a some sports?camps or special interests like space camp.
Because summer camp can be costly,?should you make your teen pay their own camp fees? Or should you be responsible for camp fees for your teens? Here are some?reasons why your teen should pay for their own summer camp fees.
Why Your Teen Should Pay for Summer Camp Fees
There are some great lessons to be learnt by making your teen pay for summer camp?themselves.
First of all, it shows they want to further their talents or skills. If they are truly interested in their camp topic, they?ll want to find a way to pay for their summer camp fees.?By finding a way to pay for camp, they prove that they will care about it and truly value the experience. Plus, it may mean they are?starting to figure out who they are and what they care to do.
Having your teen pay for their own summer camp teaches them initiative and rewards them for saving for a goal. By not giving into your teen?s pleas to pay the fees for them, they?ll learn several money lessons. These will come in handy later in life as they save for a car, college, a house, a trip and more.
As it will probably take them a while?to save up for summer camp,?they?ll also learn about time management and proper planning. These are great life skills to have them learn earlier rather than later.
Your teens will also feel?a sense of accomplishment for their hard work. With the current generation being often?reprimanded for their seemingly lack of hard work, learning that hard work can be rewarding is a great life lesson.
Loaning Money to Your Teen
Another way to teach your teen responsibility is by loaning them the money for summer camp fees. If you go this route, make sure you have a payment plan in place that they agree to up-front. This will help them understand the importance of paying back loans on time, or the consequences if they don?t.
Splitting the Bill With Your Teen
Another option to consider is splitting the cost of summer camp with your teen. Because some camps can be very expensive, it may not be realistic to expect them to pay for the camp fees entirely on their own.
Also, if they don’t know about a camp until just a few weeks before, it could be difficult for them to save that amount in a short time, especially if they are too young to get a summer job.
Splitting the bill teaches them to keep their word. There needs to be consequences if they don’t pull?their weight.
When I was in high school, I split the cost of summer camp with my parents willingly because I truly wanted to go.
Making your teen pay for at least part of their own camp fees teaches them many life lessons. The benefits of attending camp as a teen can have a huge impact on their future, both in developing skills and in learning to navigate on their own. Having them foot their own bill to attend camp further adds to these lessons.
Do your teens pay for their own summer camp fees? Why or why not?
Photo courtesy of: SeppH
Wise Dollar
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I think loaning money to your kid is a horrible idea. Our society is already so debt-focused that it’s crazy. Getting them in that mindset even younger seems like setting them up for failure later in life.
That’s true, but it might teach them that they shouldn’t take out debt later now that they’ve felt the pain of paying it back as a teen.