Getting Ready for Overnight Camp:
Tips for First-Timers by Tanni Haas
There are few things more exciting in a kid’s life than their first overnight camp. How do you prepare your kids – and yourself – for this big event? Drawing on my own experience as the parent and conversations with other parents and camp directors, I’ve identified several things you should do.
n Prepare for Camp Together You want your kids to take ownership of this exciting experience. If you have the opportunity, tour the camp in advance, so you and your child can know what to expect. “Watch the camp video,” says Daniel Weatherby of Camp Rockmont for Boys. “That way, kids will have an idea of what they want to do when they get to camp, like blacksmithing or swimming. They can start looking forward to the memories they’ll create at camp.” Weatherby recommends getting to know the team. “We are in a partnership with parents. It’s a boy’s experience, but it’s also a family experience. Not only is it the child’s first time away from home, but it’s the parent’s first time with their boy away from home.” Shop together for all the stuff on the packing list and pack jointly using luggage that isn’t too difficult to carry. You should also build excitement by talking to your kids about all the incredible things they’re going to experience and explain the rules and expectations of the camp. “Homesickness starts at home. It is often the parents that unintentionally plant the seed of worry in their child’s head by saying things like, ‘I’ll miss you so much! What will I do without you? Won’t you miss me? I’m going to be so lonely/sad without you’ over and over again,” says Chelsea Manning of Valley View Ranch. “These sentiments, though wellintentioned, can start to make kids feel guilty and pressured into not enjoying their time to the fullest.”
n Have a Sleepover – Or Two Your kids are going to be away from you, possibly for the first time, for an extended period. Some kids have absolutely no problem adjusting; others need to dip their feet in the water slowly. Organize a couple of sleepovers with their friends at their friends’ houses to get them used to being away from you. Weatherby recalls staying at his grandparent’s house for several nights in a row to prepare for being away from home as a young boy. “Remind them that they’ve had other firsts: first day of school, first day at camp. They’ve actually done a lot of new things before, and they’re really good at it,” he says. “It’s not an easy thing to be away from home, and homesickness is normal. Create open avenues of communication, and don’t avoid the word homesickness.” Cont’d on next page
atlantaparent.com
Camp 2020
February 2020 Atlanta Parent 25
