Preparing your kids to go away

JOAN G. FRIEDMAN

Planning for camp usually begins a year in advance. By the end of camp last year, parents were making the reservations for this year.

When checking the lists on what to pack and how much room each will have, there are other preparations to consider. We all want our child's experience to be as fun and rewarding as possible. It may be a vacation for you, but it is much more than that for your child. These experiences will encourage your child to look forward to camp for the coming years, as well as learning skills that will stay with him or her into adulthood. Whether it is your child's first year or fifth year away at overnight camp, it is important to instil some truths.

To begin with, camp should be considered a learning experience. Here is a chance for parent and child to begin the process of letting go. Your son or daughter will observe a bigger world than the present neighborhood. Included will be meeting new friends, being creative, enjoying teamwork and developing social skills. It is very healthy to have time apart from parents; everyone will feel refreshed when the child returns.

Camps know the importance of having first-rate counsellors. They are the ones who are responsible for your child's great summer experience. There will probably be a weekend in the spring when everyone is invited to participate in activities and parents can meet the counsellors. This is done to help convince the children that this experience is fabulous. If you have any worries about your child, speak to a counsellor and to the director or owner of the camp. There should be no problem with having them help or encourage a new child.

If this is the first time away from home, it is important to discuss concerns. Parents and child should decide together where to go to camp and what to pack. This should never be accomplished by just the parents. Remember to choose a camp that will be an enjoyable time for your child – something that specializes in a subject in which your child has an interest, perhaps. Choosing a place that is not too far away and offers the activities he or she prefers makes everything a whole lot better. Imagine learning and getting better at something you enjoy! It is also especially helpful if the child knows someone else who will be going to the same camp.

For the child, talking about the concerns of going away should be discussed as often as necessary. Be confident when you discuss his or her questions. It's important to know that camp is a lot like life. There may be high and low points. The biggest issue is probably going to be about leaving home. The main idea about experiences is for the child to relax and have fun.

While it is normal for children to feel homesick or feel apprehensive, this likely will not last more than a few days. You might even discuss this in advance. Remind them of the time they went to a new school or went on a vacation and had stomachaches or headaches in the beginning – because it was a new experience and they were anxious. Treat this lightly, saying that they might have a similar reaction the first few days of camp.

Remind your child that others are also having this same problem. Many kids are there for the first time away from home. Encourage bravery. After those first few days, he or she should be able to adjust and enjoy the experience. This is also important for the parents. Don't look nervous or hesitant in saying goodbye. For some parents, it is hard to let go; this will make the child wary as well.

Keeping all of this in mind, your child should have a very rewarding camp experience.

Joan G. Friedman contributes articles to newspapers in the United States and Canada. She can be reached at [email protected].

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