Hey, Camp Enthusiasts!
Parents, today I’m discussing a very important topic about summer camp: knowing whether your kid is ready for it or not. This can be a little tricky to figure out since there isn’t any exact answer or age I can give you for your camper. Everyone’s different. What I can give you is some pointers to figuring out if your kid is ready or not.
SummerCampHandbook.com thinks that seven is a good age to start, so long as your child feels comfortable with it by that point. Maybe your child is an early bloomer and was ready for it just before turning seven. Maybe your child won’t be ready until middle-school. How do you know?
Usually it’s best to leave it up to your kid to mention any interest in summer camp. Kids know what’s fun and that camp is cool.
If you think summer camp would be a good idea, yet your kid hasn’t brought it up freely, see if there’s a reason that they aren’t interested. Whether the reason be related to anxieties about making friends at camp or concerns over leaving home, make sure to address your child’s issue and not simply encourage him or her to go. Camp can be your idea, but it’s got to be your kid’s decision.
Try having your kid talk to a friend who’s already been to camp or get permission to visit a camp while in session. Both are very effective methods of easing your child’s mind about a stay at camp.
If you’re concerned about homesickness settling in, a care package is always a great way to lift your kid’s spirit. Also, remember to write! Everything Summer Camp has stationery for kids and stationery for you to make writing letters home and to camp easy and convenient.
You can also get cool and colorful name labels at Everything Summer Camp that were featured in the News recently by Nola Baby. Every camp wants everything to be labeled so that what gets brought to camp returns home. It also helps the camps that provide a laundry service to make sure the right clothing goes to the right camper.
Once your kid has decided to go to summer camp, then you just have to know how long of a stay it should be. Luckily, your kid should have a big say on this one too.
As Chris Thurber recently wrote in his March 13 post on this blog about figuring out how long to stay at camp, it “should be largely up to your child. Ownership over the decision about how many weeks to attend camp goes a long way toward promoting good adjustment to the separation from home.”
That’s all for today. Good luck, Parents. As always, thanks for reading.
- John