Regardless of your situation Jake it sounds to me like you never really bonded with the kids at your day camp. If you go in with the attitude that you are babysitting, and not to be an actual camp counselor, well, then maybe that is what will happen. I really think for any good program, camp is what YOU make of it, regardless to what type of camp it is.
Now as to campalot's question, I think it depends on the age. For younger kids (under 10), day camp is probably better because it is a good first step and lets them experience camp before leaving for an entire summer.
For kids 10 and over, overnight camp is probably the best experience in terms of teaching them independence and social skills. I encouraged my campers (who were 9 this past summer) to attend overnight camp the next year and was able to give them a firsthand (if admittedly biased) opinion on the ones they were considering.
Of course that's just my opinion I formed from my own experiences- what does everybody else think?
