Summer Camp Lost my 3 year old - vent

Jennifit

Jennifit

Cathlete
I just have to get it out before I scream again!! My 3 year old went to a summer camp today and when I went to pick him up, he was NOT there. They finally found him 20 minutes later with someone else's clothes on - WTF? Some "teacher" took him into a SIX YEAR OLD class!!! My son is about 32 pounds, he is tiny...I don't know how they could have thought he was six, especially since I signed both of my kids in (they are twins) their "teacher" put wrist bands and name tags on both of them and my daughter said that she asked for him the entire THREE hours.

OK, thank you for letting me get it out. It makes me want for all of us tonight to hugs our kids a little tighter and tell them over and over that we love them. So scary.

jen
 
OMG, Jen! I can't even begin to comprehend what that must have been like for you!!! {{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I hope you really gave them a piece of your mind or something! It just seems impossible with all the precautions that they could have done that!

I'm just so glad they found him and he's none the worse for wear!

I certainly would file complaints with someone! Call the Attorney General's Office, heck, the newspaper! These people obviously were just lax.

Again, I'm so sorry for what you went through and am glad it turned out to have a happy ending!
 
Jen

How AWFUL! You have every right to be angry and upset.

Believe it or not, I had a dream the other night with a similar scenario, it made me wake with a pounding heart and drenched in a cold sweat. SCARY.
 
OH MY GOSH!!!! I'm usually very understanding about things going wrong but if it had anything to do with my kids getting lost I can't even begin to tell you how peeved I'd be. Someone was NOT doing their job. I'm so glad that everything turned out okay. I'm so sorry you had to go through that.
 
I would have lost it had that been my kid! The fact that you are not facing assault charges right now is a testament to your self control!!! :mad::mad:

First, is your son okay? Was he frightened being separated from his sister or was he cool w/ it? (Some kids are more easy going than others.) How about your daughter? Is she okay knowing there was a mistake made or is she a little wierded out? Why was he wearing another kid's clothes?? Did they go swimming or do some activity w/ water? Why else would his clothes be different? Did your son mention anything unusual happening? (Besides him being put w/ kids twice his age and separated from his twin?!)

Seriously, that kind of thing is unreal in this day & age--given the controls that any decent camp has in place. WTH!

Have you already contacted the camp director? If not, please do so before you drop your kids off tomorrow. He/ she needs to know about this kind of problem asap!

Out of curiousity, were the 'teachers' high school kids (like a town rec program summer camp) or was it something w/ more trained professionals?

That is really scary--especially for kids so little! (((((hugs))))) to everyone!
 
HOLY CRAP!!!!! Oh my gosh!!!!! How unbelievably scary for all of you! I too would have lost it and hunted down the "teachers"/people in charge and give them a VERY loud piece of my mind!! :mad::mad: I may be small but I'm mighty and VERY scary when it comes to my son's welfare. I'm soo sorry you had to go through that.

Ohhh- such big big hugs to you and your darling children!! I agree- call the newspapers, radio stations and complain to the top of their food-chain! Oh my gosh, I just can't imagine how scary that must be for all of you!! Bless your hearts!

My seven year old is at a VBS (vacation bible school) and I make sure to get it painfully clear in their minds regarding his allergies and need for an Epi-pen just in case he stumbles across a plant or insect he may be allergic to (that we are not aware of yet). I make darn sure the camp counselors are trained in First Aid and Epi-pens and go out of my way to sufficiently scare the crap out of them as to the severity of his allergies.

I went to pick him up yesterday and apparently after I left, the on-site nurse came and took the Epipen from the counselor!! I was frickin' livid. :mad::mad: So, I marched into her office and asked her (not so subtly) if she understood that Anaphalaxys is a life and death matter, that if he had gone into Anaphalactic shock that he could possibly die by the time the counselor got to her office!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad: She looked quite stunned to be confronted by a Mom who isn't a 'nurse'.... honey, after all I've been through with my son's many health scares, trust me, I can out-nurse her ANY day! :p :cool:

Your little darlings are sooo tiny and innocent and were probably scared to death!! How insanely terrifying for them. I'm going to say an extra prayer for your family that all of you have peaceful dreams and that your kiddos don't end up with some sort of PTSD (post tramatic stress discorder).

Big, big hugs,

Pam
 
What a horrible ordeal for all of you. (((HUGS))) to all of you. I would have been livid. I hope you went to the director of this school and gave him a piece of your mind. How do you mistakenly miss judge a 3 year old for a 6 year old? Maybe once you are calmer you could a write a letter to the board of directors and a letter to the editor of your local newspapers so this doesn't happen again or to someone else.

Again I'm so sorry you had to live through this. (((HUGS)))

Jenn
 
Jen, my heart skipped a beat for you when I read what happened. Unbelievably scary.

I agree with other posters--complain, complain, complain. Take it to the summer camp director and demand to know what they are going to do to prevent this situation from happening again with your child or any other child. You might also consider calling/writing in a complaint to the local or state licensing agency for child care providers (in most states, child care agencies need to hold a special license).
 
Oh. My. Word.

I'd be openin' a can of whoop-a.. on someone for that! They'd better be thankin' their lucky stars he is ok!
 
I spoke with the manager of Lifetime Fitness (where the camp is being held) and he said they were implementing new safety procedures...like head counting (NO SH%T??) and I said that should have been done in the first place. He actually said that they were giving a $25 gift voucher...for losing my kid!!!!!! So, tomorrow morning, my 6'5, 250 pound hubby is going to go in and demand a refund and ask to have the staff responsible give us a formal apology. Because it seems like they will take him seriously more than me.

THANK YOU, my Cathe family for your support. May this never happen again. You guys really helped me.
 
Holy Smokes!!!!

WHY was your son wearing different clothes????

I'm glad you're DH is going to demand a refund. No way would I entrust my kids after an episode like that!
 
Jennifit said:
I spoke with the manager of Lifetime Fitness (where the camp is being held) and he said they were implementing new safety procedures...like head counting (NO SH%T??) and I said that should have been done in the first place. He actually said that they were giving a $25 gift voucher...for losing my kid!!!!!! So, tomorrow morning, my 6'5, 250 pound hubby is going to go in and demand a refund and ask to have the staff responsible give us a formal apology. Because it seems like they will take him seriously more than me.

THANK YOU, my Cathe family for your support. May this never happen again. You guys really helped me.
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What an awful experience!! So sorry you had to go through that. I can't believe that they weren't doing head counts, etc and think a $25 gift voucher will make it all better. Wow. Power to your husband!!
 
That was really scary to read. Especially that they think a $25 voucher is all it takes to make things right.

I dont think you should let this go. Not from any feelings of revenge but from being a good citizen who ensures it does not happen again to some other kid.

This incident demonstrates they have one gap in their procedures. There could be more.

A summer camp that does something like this should not be allowed to run another until they come up with a report on how it happened, have an audit done of their proceudres and come up with how all gaps identified will be addressed.
 
A $25 consolation prize for losing your child & he's dressed in different clothes? Um, no! Wow. They are clueless....and lucky you don't slap a lawsuit on them!
 
Vee said:
That was really scary to read. Especially that they think a $25 voucher is all it takes to make things right.

I dont think you should let this go. Not from any feelings of revenge but from being a good citizen who ensures it does not happen again to some other kid.

.
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Totally agree! I have no feelings of revenge. I am going to listen to my intuition and not go anymore! And, we are going in today to ask to see the licensing to protect the other kids at the camp!
 
I heard the going rate for a three year old is about $25. What's the problem? (KIDDING OF COURSE!)

That they think $25 is going to fix things is absurd. The change of clothes is baffling.

My children are now 13, 13 (boy/girl twins like you), and 11 and they've been in day care and camps their entire life (including a few sleep away camps). Nothing even close to this has ever happened to them. I'm very surprised and don't blame you for being livid. To lose 1 of 2 twins is completely incomprehensible.
 
Ack! OMG, how scary I am glad everyone thing turned out OK. My friend's daughter is going on her first field trip today. My friend is a wreck, it's stories like these that make her (and I) so nervous. (((HUGS))) to you and your litte ones. I'm going to hug mine when I get home.

Maria
 
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