GETTING THE KIDS READY FOR

BY ELLYCE FIELD

Striped knitwear separates from
Lizkids. Pullover $25. Shorts $18.

IlLd ast year mid-June, I
bumped into my
girlfriend and her nine
year old daughter at the
mall. They were laden with large
shopping bags and intently
looking through the linens at a
large department store.
"Hey!" I said. "Looks like you
guys are shopping up a storm!"
"We're getting Jill ready for
camp," my friend explained
wearily. "She leaves next week

for four weeks. We're just picking
up a few last items."
"Yeh, and it's costing us a
fortune," her daughter piped in
sweetly.
Getting your child ready for
camp is an exercise in money and
time management. It's also a
delicate balancing act. The
clothing you think your camper
needs, might not be what he or
she wants to take.
Parents of first time campers

would do well to go over the

camp's clothing and equipment
list with the parents and children
of experienced campers. Camps
vary, so limit your conversation to
families whose children went to
the same camp your child chose.
Let's face it. For many
pre-adolescents, what you wear
is who you are. If you send your
child with rugged, heavy duty,
outdoor wear and most of the kids

Continued on next page

March 1987 101