It's not easy to let your kids go off to camp for several weeks without the benefit of your watchful eye and the comforts of home. Will they come home changed and confident, or will they come home mini criminals?

According to the Chicago Tribune, either option is a possibility. While some parents praise camps for teaching their sports-shy kids to water ski and shoot a bow and arrow, other parents complained of "drinking, strip poker, and rampant sexuality." With nine million kids going to camp each year, it's likely all parents will deal with this particular form of separation anxiety at some time.

While some stories are certainly scary, though, it seems that most parents are pleased that their children come home more responsible and relaxed due to the peer-pressure free atmosphere of camp.

"In our everyday lives, all kids want to be grown-ups - but with only the fun things, not the responsibilities," said Dayna Hardin, owner of Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls and Greenwoods Camp for Boys in Decatur, Mich. "Here, kids get to decide what to wear, what activities to do, what they are or are not going to eat … In the process, they actually do grow up."

For better or worse, your baby may be coming home from summer camp all grown up.