Preparing Your Daughter
for Camp

Going away to camp is a big step for the entire family, particularly if this is the first experience. You can help your daughter most by talking with her and expressing your confidence about her ability to succeed at the new challenges camp will offer. Homesickness may occur. Our staff members are trained to work with homesick campers, and we usually cure the homesickness in a few days. One thing to keep in mind is that homesickness is completely normal. It will take some time to adjust to the new environment and routine.

If you receive a letter that is less than positive, please don't be too worried. Homesickness usually occurs during rest hour and at nighttime when campers are less busy which is also a time when many letters are written. We know that it is difficult to receive homesick letters from your daughter, but please don't be too alarmed. Quite often, the homesickness has passed by the time the letter reaches home. Please notify the camp office if you have concerns about the letters you receive.

We do not recommend telling your daughter that she can call home anytime she needs to, or that you will come pick her up early. As stated earlier, campers are not allowed to use the telephone except in the case of an emergency, and suggesting an early pick up gives your daughter the notion that she does not have to try. Although these statements are usually made with good intentions, it makes adjusting to camp life much more difficult. Instead, you will want to encourage your daughter to try new activities, make new friends, and discover new things about herself. Gaining independence from family and gaining self-confidence are important steps in a child's development that must be faced at some point. Camp is an ideal environment to take those steps.

Other ways to help your daughter prepare for camp are: Let her help pack her own trunk, have open discussions about concerns she may have about being away, and talk about both the ups and downs of being at camp. The American Camping Association has a terrific website full of articles that can help parents prepare both themselves and their camper for the upcoming camp experience.