Summer is just around the corner and with the sunshine and flowers comes thoughts of sleepaway and day camps.
For seasoned campers who know what to expect, these thoughts bring up feelings of anticipation and excitement, but those who have never been to camp before, might be wracked with anxiety and worry. A little preparation can go a long way to ease those jitters (for you and your child!).
Here are our top tips for setting your child up for success so they can make lasting memories and friendships they will cherish for a lifetime.
1. Get them involved
The biggest thing kids fear about camp is the unknown. Help ease those anxieties by letting them be involved in the researching and choosing of the camp. Let them explore the website and find the answers to any questions they have together.
2. Check it off
Let your child make or follow a checklist to ensure they have everything they need. Take them shopping with you if there is anything on the list you don’t already have and let them pick it out. Don’t forget to label everything and bring a special comfort item from home (like a stuffed animal, blanket or photo).
3. Talk to others
Search out people who have sent their kids to the same camp and try to connect with them. This can be done by asking people in your child’s school, neighbours, friends, family members or by contacting the camp organizers. You’d be surprised how much more at ease your child will be after talking to another kid who has been to the camp.
4. Prepare them to be away
If you haven’t already, now is the time to give your child a bit more independence. Let them have sleepovers at friends’ or relatives’ houses. Foster independence by getting them to help with chores; making their bed, keeping their room clean and helping with meals. Camps require children to be at least somewhat self-sufficient so help them build those skills before they go.
5. Communicate with care
Find out about the camp’s communication policy together. Talk about how you will send them messages, whether that be through a letter, care package, email or text. It can be helpful to talk about realistic expectations for communication (ie: I’ll email you every Monday morning). If care packages are allowed, send them items that they can enjoy with their fellow campers like frisbees and cards.
6. Safety First
Make sure your child knows the basics of safety and hygiene. Remind them to stay with the group, follow camp leader instructions and be cautious around unfamiliar animals or plants. Emphasize the importance of washing their hands and using hand sanitizer as being stuck in a cabin for days with a nasty cold or stomach flu is not how they want to spend their summer. This information can seem a bit scary to some kids so it might be best to break it up over several conversations well before they leave.
7. Past success
One of the best ways to help your child realize they can do something is to remind them of past success. Talk about the time they were nervous about starting dance class and how they met so many new people. Or bring up how anxious they were for their first sleepover and how much fun they had.
8. Get excited
Talk about all the exciting activities they will do while at camp. Whether it’s swimming, hiking, arts and crafts or campfires. Focusing on the fun part will help distract them from any worries. However, if they want to talk about the possible things that could go wrong and how they could work through them, that’s okay too. Let them know they can always ask a camp leader for help.
9. Quick goodbye
When the time comes to say goodbye, make it quick. Bring them to their cabin, help them unpack and then get out of there as quickly as possible. A long, emotional farewell can make it harder for them to adjust, so keep it lighthearted and reassuring.
10. Talk about it
When they return, ask open-ended questions about their time at camp. This will help them reflect on the positive moments and experiences. Also talk about what they didn’t like so you can plan to avoid those things the next time. Consider creating a camp scrapbook or keeping mementos (like photos or letters) to remember the experience.
Going to camp for the first time is intimidating. It brings up many mixed emotions for both children and parents. The key to preparation is to give them as much information as possible beforehand to remove the fear of the unknown. Make it a fun, positive and reassuring process so they can replace those jitters with excitement.
