Ms. Do Mai Huong (39 years old, Xuan Dinh ward, Hanoi ) still remembers clearly the first time she let her 7-year-old daughter attend a 7-day summer camp in the suburbs last summer, costing 8.5 million VND. This summer camp was introduced by a colleague, and seeing the professional promotion of the organizers, she felt very secure when deciding to let her child experience it.
However, the day she picked her child up, she was shocked to see that he had lost weight, his body was covered with mosquito bites, his face was tired, and he was quiet and didn't say a word. "I kept asking him, but he only said three words 'tired, sad, scared' and then burst into tears. When he got home, he had a high fever for two days straight, and had to rest for nearly a week before he had the strength to return to extra classes," Ms. Huong recalled.
Feeling sorry for her child, Ms. Huong only thought that maybe it was because she was not used to the new environment, combined with the hot weather, that her spirit was down. Another part of her was also afraid to report it because she was afraid of being said to be difficult, too indulgent, and that the child "complained at the slightest hardship".
The incident at the Eager Village summer camp caused a stir. (Photo: Eager Village)
It was not until negative stories about summer camps, especially the recent incident at Eager Village, were widely spread on social media that Ms. Huong was startled to look back. The haunting diaries of children, the mosquito bites, the rocky swimming pool, or the stories of children having to hold their pee because the bathroom was too dirty... made her shiver.
"Reading those lines, I felt like I was listening to my own child tell the story. It's just that at that time she was too young to express herself so that I could fully understand what she had gone through. Now thinking back, I feel scared. I wonder if she was ever bullied, cried out of fear at night, or if anyone noticed when she had a slight fever and just wanted to go home?", Ms. Huong said in a low voice.
The female parent even thought about not letting her child attend any more summer camps, to avoid further experiences that could harm her child both physically and mentally.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Tran Duc Minh (41 years old, Ba Dinh ward, Hanoi) also sent his eldest son to a 5-day summer camp at an eco-tourism area, more than 100 km from the capital for 9 million VND. At that time, his son was in 5th grade, shy and quite timid, so Mr. Minh and his wife hoped that the trip would help their son become more courageous, learn to adapt and be independent.
“The camp is very professionally promoted, has a separate consulting team for parents, a great introductory video , about overcoming challenges, living like a little warrior in the middle of nature... beautiful images, a methodical program, I was completely convinced,” said the male parent.
Just two days after their child joined the summer camp, the couple received a call from the coordinator informing them that their child was tired and had a poor appetite, but was still functioning normally. At that time, Minh was not too worried, thinking that his child was just not used to the new routine.
Until the day he took his son home, he could not help but feel heartbroken. His son was pale, his face haggard. There were a few scratches on his arms and legs that were still red and not properly bandaged. After much questioning, the boy mumbled that he had fallen while playing outside, and that he was in pain but "no one listened to me."
Mr. Minh admitted that he currently feels more insecure than ever. “At first, I thought it was just an incomplete experience, and that my child was not used to it, so it was normal for him to be tired. But after following the incident at the Eager Village summer camp, I suddenly realized that the problem might not be with the child, but with the organization,” the male parent said.
If the unit is not attentive enough, not capable of supervising and taking care of the child, then that experience can easily become a memory that the child just wants to forget, and the parents are forever tormented.
After the Eager Village summer camp incident, many parents were startled to realize that their children's previous unusual signs could be traces of a bad experience that had never been spoken about. (Photo: Eager Village)
According to MSc. Nguyen Thu Huong, lecturer ofEducational Psychology at a university in Hanoi, summer camps can bring great value if they are organized properly, safely and in accordance with the psychological age of children. However, in reality, many current programs turn summer camps into uncontrolled “trial by fire”, causing children to be overloaded both physically and mentally.
“Children, especially those in primary school, always need timely support when an incident occurs. They do not have enough skills to deal with injuries, bullying, or simply when they feel scared or homesick. Without an observation team and a clear feedback mechanism, children are very vulnerable,” Ms. Huong analyzed.
This expert recommends that parents closely monitor their child’s reactions after each group experience. Symptoms such as insomnia, behavioral changes, or avoiding conversations related to the trip can be signs that the child has experienced something wrong.
At the same time, summer camp organizers also need to establish a clear psychological support and monitoring mechanism, because for children, an unhealthy memory can leave a scar more silently than adults think.
Ms. Huong also emphasized that the responsibility lies not only with the organizer but also with the parents. Parents need to understand their children's personality, physical condition, and level of independence to choose the right program. Do not follow attractive advertising and forget that the physical and mental safety of children is a non-negotiable factor.
The incident at the Eager Village summer camp caused a stir on social media when a parent posted an article expressing his frustration after letting his 10-year-old son attend an 8-day, 7-night summer camp at Eager Village (Thai Nguyen).
This parent said that her son had many skin health problems such as rashes and dermatitis, and also revealed that her son was psychologically affected by bullying. Many other parents also spoke out after Ms. L.'s post, sharing that when their son returned home, he showed signs of insect bites with a rash on his back and red, swollen spots on his face. Others reported that the facilities and hygiene conditions at the camp were very poor: the toilets were not clean, the swimming pool had larvae, many mosquitoes, the mosquito nets were punctured, the sleeping area had no mattress, and the blankets were not enough.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chi-8-9-trieu-dong-gui-con-di-trai-he-cha-me-nhan-ve-nuoc-mat-va-noi-am-anh-ar953319.html
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