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JUNE 4, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Health & F tness
Summer Camp 2020 By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP
“D
r. Lightman, will there be camp this summer?” This question rolls off every parent’s tongue nowadays, together with a look of longing that rivals that for a rebuilt Jerusalem replete with the Beis HaMikdash functioning at full capacity. I sure hope that summer camp happens. This important tool for lifelong growth could possibly happen this summer if we are creative.
Why is summer camp important? Many of us have experienced loads of family time the last almost three months. It’s great. It’s fabulous. It’s beautiful. And, honestly speaking, we need a break. Our children need a change, and, please G-d, camp will provide that change. For generations of children, summer means unlimited free time to play, explore and make memories that can last for a lifetime. It’s about learning to swim, play tennis, doing arts-andcrafts that can lead to hobbies, Jewish learning – and so much more. In other words, camp allows for a deep dive into new skills and reviewing in a nonthreatening atmosphere. The benefits can have a ripple effect that can help learning throughout the year. Under the guidance of skilled instructors and talented artists and separated from the competitive environment called school, children can discover and develop new skills that may well prove beneficial into adulthood. As long as the camp provides a positive and nurturing environment, children can figure out who they are, manage their daily chores, and discover new skills that can shape their identity. Once a person tastes success, he will want more success. The only failure in camp is missing the opportunity to try new things.
In addition to the “skills” stimulation and exploration, camp can provide physical activity that is typically lacking for our children during the school year. It entails unplugging from technology: our children, due to Covid-19 circumstances much larger than them and us, have practically overdosed on technology the last several months. Children who are disconnected from their smartphones, tablets and computers can focus on their creative talents, engage with other children and explore the outdoors. Summer camp offers a structured opportunity for children to grow. This venue for growth allows children to become independent and self-confident by gaining proficiency and prowess while socializing and making new friends. Regarding the social component, many children are labelled during the school year – “studious,” “rambunctious,” to cite but a few examples. Once labelled, it is hard for the school and the child and his peers to move past that label. The camp set-
ting should be a nonjudgmental one (as should school, for that matter). Because children in camp can make new friends, thereby moving beyond the same group of peers (which tends to reinforce the labelling), they are given the opportunity to break out of the categorizations, spread their wings and fly. Camp allows kids to get out and into an environment filled with people who see what is in front of them, rather than what they have been trained to see through years of false reinforcement. Not enough can be said about the benefits of removing a person from a familiar environment (which has become hum-drum for so many), which means getting them out of their comfort zones and expanding their boundaries. They take risks with their new skills without the looming fear of failure and repercussions. Camp then reinforces independence and empowerment. Nothing brings out and tests children’s independence than giving them time away from Mommy and Abba.
Without our ubiquitous presence, children can learn to bring tasks to completion. They can begin to understand the thought that goes into a good decision and then learn more about themselves in the process. They can learn from other adults and from peers. When children are away from home, they tend to grow in appreciating their Imma and Daddy, belongings, and homemade chicken for Shabbos. Warning: the appreciation is not permanent. At best, it’s ephemeral. But it is there, and it will grow over time. As a result, this amalgam called camp builds resilience. New (or renewed) friendships, confidence, independence, and sense of belonging only enhance a child’s development. It helps them to grow from a kid into a strong, competent adult.
So how can we make camp happen this summer? Unbelievably, overnight camp might be simpler to bring into reality
