Preparing Children for Summer Camp
CINCINNATI -- It's that time of year when newspaper and magazine ads urge parents and children to choose a summer camp. But before taking the plunge, take the time to prepare your children for camp. Proper preparation can ensure that camp will be a valuable learning experience, according to psychologists at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati.
Overnight camps of one week or several weeks can build children's self-confidence, independence and social ability, while involving them in activities they might never experience in their own neighborhoods. But before you start looking at camps, it's best to look closely at your children.
"The first step is to make sure your children want to go away to camp," says Susan Rosenthal, Ph.D., director of psychology in Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati's Adolescent Medicine Division. "It needs to be something your children want to do, not something you're choosing for your children."
Also consider whether your children willingly ask for help from adults, play well with new acquaintances and easily stay overnight at friends' or grandparents houses, says Lori Stark, Ph.D., director of Psychology at Cincinnati Children's.
"If children don't sleep well overnight at others' houses, they're probably not going to do well at camp," says Dr. Stark.
If children are willing or even eager to go, parents can still do a lot to help them prepare for the experience and get the most out of it:
- Involve children in choosing the camp. Parents should investigate camps with an eye toward finding one that best matches their own and their children's interests, researching such things as the camps' discipline policies, religious affiliation, background checks on workers, services offered, flexibility, physical characteristics, and supervision of campers. "Narrow it down to a few that you agree with," says Dr. Stark, "then allow your children to go through and make their own choices."
- Help children envision the camp. Visit the camp in advance, if it's close enough. If you can't, show children pictures and a camp brochure. Also, watch the camp video. "The more information you find, the better your children will know what to expect," says Dr. Stark.
- Use the buddy system. "It makes sense to send a child to a camp that pulls from your area or that their siblings are going to," says Dr. Rosenthal. Find out from the camp if any other children from your area are going, and have your children meet them before heading off to camp. While sending children off without you can be an opportunity for personal growth, it's far easier for them if they go with familiar people.
- Involve children in packing for camp. Draw up a list of items required for camp. If children are supposed to bring seven pairs of shorts, let them choose the seven, says Dr. Stark. If you need to buy sleeping bags and flashlights, take your children to the store and let them choose which ones.
"The more involved they are," says Dr. Stark, "the more enthusiastic they will be." Talk with your children to ease fears. Talking about what to expect will go a long way toward relieving anxiety about camping. It may be fear of changing clothes in front of others, or wetting the bed, or becoming homesick. So ask about the specific fear, and help your children devise a plan of action to overcome it, says Dr. Rosenthal.
"Say, 'Sometimes kids are worried they'll get homesick. Do you want to make a plan for what to do if you get homesick?'" Don't say you'll come get them when the first tear drops; plan instead what your children can do to make themselves feel better, including calling home.
- Write often. If your children are gone for several weeks, it's helpful to write them or send them cards several times a week. In fact, you might want to write a letter before your children leave for camp, so the letters are waiting for them when they arrive.
Sometimes it can be helpful to leave fun notes in the pockets of their clothes. Calling typically works best if children initiate it, according to Dr. Rosenthal. "They might be perfectly happy and not missing you," she says, "and then get your phone call and feel sad."
With a little planning, your children's summer camping experience can be rewarding, say Dr. Rosenthal and Dr. Stark.
Contact Information
Jim Feuer,
jfeuer@chmcc.org
