Should You Tip Your Kid's Camp Counselors?

Do you tip your kid's camp counselors?Once again, summer camp is over. For the third year, my son has spent a month singing, dancing, writing, drawing, acting and visiting some of the city's secret nooks and fabulous museums as a part of a theatre camp. And for the third year, I am weepy mess, bursting with pride to see my boy blissfully wearing a mustache and paper costume on stage. I'm also overwhelmingly grateful for the counselors who teach the kids to sing parodies of Pat Benetar songs, play drama games, and learn to be comfortable goofing off in front of an audience.





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I love these counselors. They are funny and smart and create lead parts I imagine some equity actors would squeal to play. I try not to tear up when I thank them at the close of my son's final performance, but I usually do. My kid skips off, begging to go for the full eight weeks next year and I'm clutching the show program, my flip-cam and a big wad of Kleenex.

I manage to express my gratitude by writing thank-you notes. My grandmother appreciated it. My mother expects it. I believe in it. But this year, I've decided to show my thanks with Starbucks gift cards, too.

It might not seem controversial, spending some cash on an adult who inspires my kid and who probably waits tables or takes classes in between their own auditions.

Related: 10 summer memories my kids won't have

But here's where I paused before I made my purchase - I spend a lot of money on teacher gifts throughout the school year, as most parents do. The winter holidays and end-of-year and teacher-appreciation day presents add up. I am absolutely happy to show my thanks with a gift certificate, but let's be honest - cha-ching, cha-ching.

So when it comes to camp counselors, should parents dole out gift cards or is a card or a simple thank you enough?

Should we get a break from all that school-year spending during the summer months, or is it important to give an offering to great adults who work with kids all year long?

Is it important to work grateful-for-you gifts into the budget for camp? And can we afford NOT to say thanks this way?

- By Jessica Ashley

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Jessica Ashley is the author of the single-mom-in-the-city blog, Sassafrass. She is a parenting and healthy living expert, a former senior editor at Yahoo! Shine, and has contributed to AOL, ParentsConnect, CarePages, GalTime and Huffington Post.

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