If you’re considering a sleep-away camp for your child this summer, we’ve got
a few tips for a successful sleep away camp experience. If you keep these tips
in mind, and keep the lines of communication open with your kids, you’ll be sure
to make the experience an adventure they’ll remember long after the campfire songs
are mere echoes in their ears.
Determining readiness.
Overnight camps vary in size, scope and age, welcoming campers anywhere
between the ages of 6 and 19. Most kids are ready for an overnight camp by
age 8 or 9. Whether or not a child is ready for overnight camp depends on
their personality and physical and emotional maturity.
Kristina Marchuk, mom of three, says her oldest daughter Katelyn, 14, went
to her first overnight, a week-long Girl Scout camp, when she was 11, and
her younger daughter Alyssa, 6, a Daisy in the Girl Scouts, will go to her
first overnight camp this summer.
Try day camps to help you introduce your youngster to the camp experience.
Marchuk says sleepovers with grandparents and occasional overnights with
their Girl Scout troops also helped her daughters prepare for extended
sleep-away camps.
Consider the length of the camp.
Because Alyssa is younger and hasn’t spent many nights away from home
without at least big sister present, Marchuk chose a shorter three-day camp
to see how she does.
“I’m more nervous about Alyssa. She’s going into second grade and will only
be 7 by the summer,” Marchuk says. “I’m glad they offer that option to get
the kids acclimated to spending time away from parents.”
Trish Barnes, Executive Women’s Director and K-2 Women’s Director at Camp
Kanakuk, and a mom of three children and three stepchildren ranging in age
from 12 to 30, says choosing the right duration of camp definitely depends
on the child and your goals.
“The first year I sent my oldest son just for a week because I knew two
weeks or a month would have been tough on him. A week would have been out
of his comfort zone, but not so overwhelming where it would spin him into
anxiety,” Barnes says. “My middle son? He was the polar opposite. He was
ready to go for a month right off the bat.”
Set goals.
Besides learning new skills, children learn how to collaborate and live in
community while at camp, gaining self-confidence and independence through
problem-solving and teamwork.
“The camping world is an unbelievable place where you can help your kids
learn how to face disappointments, have a voice, make new friends or just
get outside their comfort zone and try something new in a very safe
environment,” says Barnes, who has worked at Kanakuk for 26 summers. “It’s
such a great accomplishment for a kid to get to do that away from home so
that they know they accomplished that on their own.”
Also, include your child in deciding on a camp. Maybe they wish to hone a
specific interest like a sport they enjoy or want to try a variety of new
activities like canoeing, horseback riding or zip-lining. Let them be a part
of the process, asking them questions about what would make a successful sleep
away camp experience for them.
Research the camp.
Do you want a faith-based camp or a more secular type of environment? Where
is the camp located? Are you seeking a camp that offers a smattering of
activities or one that specializes in one of your child’s interests like
art, music or a specific sport?
Look at the camp website. Talk to other parents for referrals. Visit an online
Camp Fair and talk directly to the camp director.
Ask about counselor to camper ratios, safety policies and how the camp
manages situations like homesickness, anxiety and medical situations. And
listen to your intuition. Does the environment feel safe and
well-organized? Is the staff kind, attentive and nurturing?
Manage expectations.
Explain to your children that they need to stick with the camp through its
duration. By seeing things through to the end, they will grow more
independent in their ability to make decisions and more resilient to
adversity and discomfort – skills which will prove invaluable as they grow
into adulthood.
“Coming home is not an option. Let them know that the expectation is that
they are going to finish because once you start something, you want to
finish it. The only reason you wouldn’t finish something is because you are
in harm’s way or it’s going to be ethically, morally bad for you,” Barnes
says.
There may be hard moments but that is all a part of the journey and doesn’t mean
it hasn’t been a successful sleep away camp experience.
Arrive prepared.
Together with your children, spend time gathering everything they’ll need
at camp. Through diligent research, careful preparation and a positive
attitude, you’ll lower any anxiety they may have and set them up for a
successful sleep away camp experience.
Homesickness/Anxiety Coping Skills
- Take deep breaths
- Focus on the present
- Write/reflect on five positive experiences each day
- Help others
- Talk to your counselor
Source: Trish Barnes, Camp Kanakuk
