Easing anxiety for first-time campers
You’ve signed your little boy or girl up for their first overnight summer camp, but he or she is nervous about going? There are plenty of things you can do to ease their fears before they go.
First, let them go on a sleepover, maybe at grandma and grandpa’s house, says Anja Vreeker, assistant camp director at Camp Chief Hector YMCA.
“We definitely encourage people to have a sleepover somewhere before going to camp, so that their first time coming to camp isn’t their first time sleeping away from home,” Vreeker says.
And sign them for a day camp beforehand. Attending summer day camp can help prepare a child for the activities and routine found at an overnight camp, she says.
Next, attend any open houses that your camp offers beforehand. Your child will get an idea of what to expect, from beds to the dining arrangements.
Vreeker notes that Camp Chief Hector offers family camp weekends, so your entire family can camp together, doing similar activities that your child will do without you at the overnight camp.
Talk to the camp counsellors beforehand, too, if you think your son or daughter will be homesick. Many have dealt with homesickness in other children, and they have techniques to minimize any negative situation.
“We talk about what we’ll be doing the next day, to get them excited about what’s happening tomorrow, so they’re not focused on what they’re missing at home,” Vreeker says.
“Sometimes we’ll get kids to send letters home, too.”
Of course, sometimes all it takes to minimize a child’s feelings of homesickness is an empathetic and fun conversation, plus a good night’s sleep, Vreeker notes. “It’s about talking to the child and listening to them.”
Phone calls home can be arranged but aren’t always the best solution.
“We try to ask parents beforehand,” she says.
“Is it a good idea to call home or will it just make things worse?”