This situation reminds me of when our son was four and we decided to sign him up for swimming lessons at the local pool. Since we live on a river, it was expected that we would try to teach as early as possible, and we thought four was a good age.
I stayed through lesson after lesson as I watched him panic about going into the water. He had to be talked into it and he would cry when we were getting into the car to go to lessons. He would cry at the pool and hold on to the side for dear life. The instructors finally managed to get him out to the water on a noodle, but then wanted him to dunk his head. He refused so they dunked him. He came up screaming because the water went up his nose.
I'm upset as I write this because the whole time this was going on, I sat in the bleachers with the other parents of similar age kids who all told me not to worry, that it would be worse if I took him out of lessons and that their own kids reacted that way the first time, blah...blah...blah. I should have listened to my instinct that first two days and pulled him and blow off the money. (no refunds)
But, no. I made him go. The last day, they corralled the kids out of the pool into a line and up the steps to a water slide. My son went along. (I was surprised) He got to the top and I could see him hesitate, but the swim instructor pushed him down. He landed and went under and came up screaming bloody murder.
That was his "graduation". Lessons over. He later told me he thought the line was to go to the exit and when he was at the top of the slide and realized they wanted him to go down, he refused but they pushed him.
I was so ticked off, at myself, for not following my gut.
So, take this for what it's worth. If your child hates camp, don't make him go.
