Summer is here and millions of children are heading to summer camp as eager, excited, and homesick campers. Research indicates that homesickness is the norm, not the exception. It is common for campers to feel a tinge of homesickness at some point during the camp session. By exercising a little preparation and patience, parents can help ease any homesickness in their otherwise happy campers.
The American Camp Association (ACA) recommends the following ten tips parents can use to help their child deal with homesickness at camp:
1. If your child is already at camp and suffering from homesickness, don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. For many children, camp is a first step toward independence and plays an important role in their growth and development.
2. Avoid the temptation to take the child home early. If a “rescue call” comes from the child, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective.
3. Talk candidly with the camp director to obtain his/her perspective on your child’s adjustment.
4. If your child is leaving soon for camp, packing a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal will help.
5. Another way of helping is to send a note or care package ahead of time so it will arrive the first day of camp. Acknowledge, in a positive way, that you will miss your child. For example, you can say “I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a good time at camp.”
6. Before your child heads to camp, reach an agreement on calling each other. If your child’s camp has a no-phone-calls policy, honor it.
7. Discuss what camp will be like before your child leaves. Consider role-playing anticipated situations, such as using a flashlight to find the bathroom.
8. Don’t bribe your child into going to camp. 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.
9. If you are planning to send your child to camp next year, involve your child in the process of choosing a camp. The more that the child owns the decision, the more comfortable the child will feel being at camp.
10. Encourage your child’s independence throughout the year if you want them to go to camp next year. Practice separations, such as sleepovers at a friend’s house, can simulate the camp environment.
Most of all, parents should trust their instincts. While most incidents of homesickness will pass in a day or two, approximately 7 percent of the cases are severe. If your child is not eating or sleeping because of anxiety or depression, parents should work with the camp director and other camp staff to evaluate the situation. Remember, camp staff are trained to ease homesickness. However, don’t make your child feel like a failure if their stay at camp is cut short. Focus on the positive and encourage your child to try camp again next year.
For more information on homesickness, or expert advice on camp, visit ACA at www.CampParents.org.
Hilary Thomas is an intern for TravelingMom.com.
GREAT TIPS! My daughter is only 6 this summer, but I know a summer camp is in her future. My husband was a summer camp kid (I’ve never been to one) and he is ready to let the kids have that experience too. Just hoping my very shy children will feel comfortable with new surroundings alone. It’s Exciting, but scary at the same time for a parent and I imagine for the child.
I agree with you. We should encourage our child’s independence. Camping is a great way to explore their independence. This is the moment when they have to do things on their own without the parents beside them. But during the first camping summer, my anxiety is as high during my child’s first days of preschool. I suggest not to show your anxiety to the kids because it might transfer to kid’s anxiety. That’s the time kids feel homesickness during camp. Show your appreciation and acknowledge their achievements during camps so they have the eagerness to go camping next year.