This summer, thousands of New York children will head to summer camp — eager, excited, and…homesick?
Yep.
Research indicates that homesickness is the norm, and not the exception.
It is common for campers to feel a tinge of homesickness at some point during the camp session. So, how can parents help? By exercising a little preparation and patience, you can help ease any homesickness in your otherwise happy camper.
• Encourage your child’s independence throughout the year. Have your child sleepover at friends’ and relatives’ houses. Being away from home can help simulate the camp experience.
• Involve your child in the process of choosing a camp. The more that the child owns the decision, the more comfortable she will feel being at camp.
• Discuss what camp will be like before your child leaves. Honest discussions about what camp will be like before your child leaves will help prepare her for the camp experience.
• Reach an agreement ahead of time on calling each other. If your child’s camp has a no-phone-calls policy, honor it.
• Send a note or care package to arrive within the first few days of camp. Send a letter from home or a care package, acknowledging you will miss your child in a positive way. For example, the note can say, “I will miss you, but I know you are going to have a wonderful time at camp.”
• Don’t bribe. Linking a successful stay at camp to a material object sends the wrong message. The reward should be your child’s new-found confidence and independence.
• Pack a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal.
• Avoid the temptation to take the child home early. If your child makes a “rescue call,” offer calm reassurance, and put the time frame into perspective.
• Talk candidly with the camp director to obtain her perspective on your child’s adjustment. Remember, camp staff are trained to ease homesickness and have dealt with homesick children before.
• Don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. If your child wants to come home, don’t feel bad about encouraging her to stay. For many children, camp is the first experience toward independence, and it plays an important part in their growth and development.
For more, visit the American Camp Association at www.searchforacamp.org, or call (212) 391-5208.
