Your Child's First Year at Overnight Summer Camp
Sending your youngster off for his first summer away at sleepaway
camp is a huge event for many parents. How will your little one ever
survive without your protection and guidance? The answer is, probably
very well after a bit of initial homesickness. Camp counselors are well
trained in the art of making kids at ease with new friends and in
unfamiliar surroundings, and while you've been suffering the pangs of
paternal anxiety at home your camper has been off swimming, sailing and
giggling around the campfire. Relax and make the big step easier for
everyone by following a few helpful hints.
Start With a Sleepover
If your youngster hasn't spent overnight time away without you, schedule a sleepover with a good friend or with a relative he hasn't stayed with before. This will get him a bit more comfortable with staying overnight in less familiar surroundings and also help you realize he'll be fine away from home for a while. Just don't pick him up if he calls in the middle of the night!
Make a List
Make a list of summer camp essentials with your new camper, making sure to include a few little luxuries (not too pricey) like the latest trendy socks. It will make your youngster feel well prepared and also cool enough to "fit in". Once you know what you need, go shopping! Kids love to spend your money and can have fun picking out things they'll be using on their new adventure. One real ice-breaker on a hot day is a hand-held water misting fan, sure to draw in lots of new friends in sweaty weather.
Realistic Expectations
Have an honest talk with your new camper about expectations. Most parents tell kids they'll love overnight summer camp, which is more than likely the truth, but it's good to address the fact that there might be a bit of an adjustment. Let him know some homesickness is perfectly normal and try to brainstorm some ways they might work around it, like staying extra-busy or talking to his cabin counselor. If kids are expecting to be perfectly happy right off the bat, the first hint of longing for home may send them into a tailspin.
The Short Goodbye
Once you're at the big drop-off, make your goodbyes short and sweet. You may be feeling teary-eyed and emotional, but keep your feelings in check until you're back in the car and on the way home. While you may think a few tears will make your child feel "loved", it may actually just serve to make him feel guilty about leaving you alone and miserable without him. Give him a hug, tell him to have fun and above all, do NOT tell him you'll come and get him if he doesn't like it; that just sets your camper up for taking the path of least resistance - leaving - if he feels homesick.
News from the Home Front
Kids at sleepaway camp love letters from home, and you'll treasure their often entertaining epistles. Hopefully, you've packed them some stationary, pens and self-addressed, stamped envelopes so they have no excuse not to write! Letters should ask lots of questions (and not things like are you lonely? ) and make home seem pretty quiet and normal; it's not the time to let them know in on news like a new puppy that may make home seem more exciting than camp. Let them know you're glad they have the chance to have this amazing summer experience, but don't make them feel guilty by rattling on about how lonely the house is without them.
Remember, summer camp is an amazing experience for your child, offering incomparable opportunities for making friends, enjoying new experiences, growing emotionally and socially and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. And you'll be just fine for a month or two without him!
Start With a Sleepover
If your youngster hasn't spent overnight time away without you, schedule a sleepover with a good friend or with a relative he hasn't stayed with before. This will get him a bit more comfortable with staying overnight in less familiar surroundings and also help you realize he'll be fine away from home for a while. Just don't pick him up if he calls in the middle of the night!
Make a List
Make a list of summer camp essentials with your new camper, making sure to include a few little luxuries (not too pricey) like the latest trendy socks. It will make your youngster feel well prepared and also cool enough to "fit in". Once you know what you need, go shopping! Kids love to spend your money and can have fun picking out things they'll be using on their new adventure. One real ice-breaker on a hot day is a hand-held water misting fan, sure to draw in lots of new friends in sweaty weather.
Realistic Expectations
Have an honest talk with your new camper about expectations. Most parents tell kids they'll love overnight summer camp, which is more than likely the truth, but it's good to address the fact that there might be a bit of an adjustment. Let him know some homesickness is perfectly normal and try to brainstorm some ways they might work around it, like staying extra-busy or talking to his cabin counselor. If kids are expecting to be perfectly happy right off the bat, the first hint of longing for home may send them into a tailspin.
The Short Goodbye
Once you're at the big drop-off, make your goodbyes short and sweet. You may be feeling teary-eyed and emotional, but keep your feelings in check until you're back in the car and on the way home. While you may think a few tears will make your child feel "loved", it may actually just serve to make him feel guilty about leaving you alone and miserable without him. Give him a hug, tell him to have fun and above all, do NOT tell him you'll come and get him if he doesn't like it; that just sets your camper up for taking the path of least resistance - leaving - if he feels homesick.
News from the Home Front
Kids at sleepaway camp love letters from home, and you'll treasure their often entertaining epistles. Hopefully, you've packed them some stationary, pens and self-addressed, stamped envelopes so they have no excuse not to write! Letters should ask lots of questions (and not things like are you lonely? ) and make home seem pretty quiet and normal; it's not the time to let them know in on news like a new puppy that may make home seem more exciting than camp. Let them know you're glad they have the chance to have this amazing summer experience, but don't make them feel guilty by rattling on about how lonely the house is without them.
Remember, summer camp is an amazing experience for your child, offering incomparable opportunities for making friends, enjoying new experiences, growing emotionally and socially and creating magical memories that will last a lifetime. And you'll be just fine for a month or two without him!
If you're considering sending your child to an overnight summer camp,
be sure to visit our site to learn about Camp Walt Whitman. Located in
the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Camp Walt Whitman offers a safe,
nurturing environment in a beautiful mountain setting. Our camp is a
coed sleepaway camp, with separate areas for boys and girls. The kids
have a blast, and make friendships that can last a lifetime.
http://www.campwalt.com.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Genie_Fletcher
http://www.campwalt.com.
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