Sleep-away Camp is About So Much More Than Archery Here are ways that camp can help your child for life

By Jodi Woodnick, LCSW

AS WE SETTLE INTO cool mornings and short days, most people are thinking about getting back to “real” life… the rat race. Me? I’m thinking about summer, and the millions of kids who will be attending sleep-away camp, many for the first time.

Why am I thinking about sleep-away camp? I am a therapist who works with kids and families. I have a front-row seat to the struggles that many kids face today: too anxious to try something new, struggling with friendships, with self-confidence, turning into puddles in the face of adversity… the list goes on. But don’t worry, there’s good news. I am also the Director of Community Care at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in California, and I have a front-row seat to the myriad ways in which sleep-away camp has the potential to help children build critical social and emotional skills to last a lifetime.

Helping your child take advantage of all that is possible through a summer at sleep-away camp will take some mental and emotional preparation. It starts with asking, “What do I want my child to get out of a sleep-away camp experience?” Most of you will say “gain independence,” ”make friends,” and “have fun”. Camp has the potential to provide those and so much more. Here’s a list of my favorites, and what you can do to help:

Practice working through discomfort

The first time they go to camp, most children will experience some nervousness. They may even cry or have trouble sleeping (eating, pooping) at first. As difficult as this is, know that this is the very kind of discomfort that gives children the chance to learn and practice vital self-soothing skills in a safe and controlled environment. Working through discomfort now will set your child up for working through adversity on the playground, at the choir performance, their first break-up, college, a first job interview. This might sound hyperbolic, but it couldn’t be truer.

You can help by normalizing feelings of discomfort associated with adjusting to a new environment, and helping your child come up with a plan for how they will deal with them when and if they do happen. Who at camp can they talk to? What are some things they can do to help themselves fall asleep or calm themselves (breathing exercises, positive self-talk, etc.)?

In the end, the best thing you can do for your child is to trust them. Your child needs to know that you genuinely believe that they can do it. Even if it’s hard, even if it’s scary, THEY CAN DO IT. The way I see it, scary just means something great is about to happen.

Learn and practice self-advocacy

Effective self-advocacy, using one’s voice