4 Easy Ways to Prepare Your Kids for Camp
Sending kids to summer camp is an incredibly exciting experience for parents….and sometimes….nerve wracking too. This may stem from their own memories at summer camps when they were their kids’ age, or from trying to sort out WHICH camp to attend, and for HOW LONG!! Either way, camp is a great time for kids to grow, and finally get some time off their screens and gadgets.
There are so many advantages to summer camps for kids, but there are a few must knows, for all parents before they start packing up duffel bags. Of course, you want them to have fun, memories for a lifetime, and learn activities they don’t normally have access to in their backyard. However, there is definitely a need for a little practice and motivation that every parent should give to their kids, which will help prepare them for an adventure to summer camps.
Not sure how to prepare your kids for their upcoming sleep away summer camp experience?
Here is a list of 4 simple tips that you need to follow! Your kid will be all set! Let’s discuss them, point by point:
- Talk about homesickness……because it’s real.
Campers, regardless of age, may already be dreading being away from home. Home sickness is normal, so tell your kids “it’s normal to miss home while you’re away”. In fact, kids and counselors at some point, will miss home for different reasons, and that’s exactly how it should be, so go ahead and normalize it. However, you should always avoid saying things like “if you don’t like it after a few days, you can always come home”. Instead, let your kids know how to cope up with the feeling of missing home, and when it happens, to say “Oh! Here’s the feeling mom and dad told me about. It’s ok. I knew this would happen”. Because not too long afterwards (1–3 days typically), camp becomes your home away from home, and your summer time family.
2. Make Them Take Short-Breaks From Gadgets
Today’s kids are exposed to and affected by technology, there’s absolutely no secret in that. However, the basic rule of most sleepaway or summer camps, is that you’re not allowed to bring your smartphones, tablets, mp3 players or anything remotely related to the tech world, that has no direct purpose in camp. To deal with this minor addiction, you need to teach your children to play off of their gadgets. Once or twice every week, they should be restricted to use anything of the sort, and get used to living a tech-free life for a couple of days.
3. Assure Them About Staying in Touch
One of the major concerns among younger kids is that they’ll not be able to get in touch with their parents during their summer camp experience. Typically, sleepaway summer camp programs encourage parents to limit phone calls. This allows kids to have a chance to develop their independence. It’s fairly natural for young campers to be concerned about this. But you, as a parent, should always remember to let them know that they can send letters during rest hours, and you will write a few times a week as well!
4. Give a Short Pep-Talk Before They Leave
Kids are instantly motivated by a powerful speech about building self-confidence and courage. As you talk to them about their upcoming camp experience, remember to share how excited you are for them to make tons of new friends, experience all the cool activities, and the adventures that they’re going to experience in the coming days. This works like a charm!
Your kids are SO lucky to have the world of camp. There is nothing like it, and it will rock their world.
Peace, luv n camp!
