Nearly 70% of homesickness can be prevented before camp starts
Homesickness is a very normal and often temporary response to being away from home. Proper preparation and preventative measures can start long before your camper’s arrival at camp. With sensitive handling by you and trained camp staff, most homesickness can be prevented or overcome, leading your camper to feelings of independence, pride, and self-assurance.
Talk with your child before they leave for camp to help ease the transition. Speak of how exciting camp will be, new friends they might make and how proud you are that they are willing to try something new. Further, let your child know that if they are feeling sad, afraid, or lonely, there is always someone at camp they can talk to, whether it is their cabin leader, Health Officer, or even the Camp Director.
Please do not tell your child they can call home or can be picked up early. These statements can often make homesickness worse and can prevent campers from fully investing in the camp experience. We agree to contact you in the case that your child is experiencing a more difficult than average adjustment to camp. We will call you to inform you and ask for your input.
Our staff is trained in handling these situations. We know that campers are most likely to feel a longing for home during mealtimes and just before bed. We find it much more successful to work with your child to acknowledge that their feelings are normal and to provide support for them as they participate in the Christian community at FLLC.
Top tips to prepare your child for camp!
- Arrange for your child to stay with a grandparent or friend for a night or two. This way, your son or daughter can experience what it is like to sleep somewhere new and different.
- Make sure your child can manage basic personal hygiene such as brushing teeth, changing clothes and bathing. Bed-wetting should not preclude a child from attendance at camp; however, the camp staff needs to be aware of the issue so that appropriate arrangements can be made and to ensure the camper’s dignity is protected.
- During the weeks leading up to camp, take time to share your own camp stories and memories with your child to build excitement and anticipation for camp. If possible, pull out old camp photos or scrapbooks for your kids to look at.
- Do not schedule a significant family event while your child will be away at camp. No child wants to be abandoned at camp while mom, dad and the rest of the family go on a fun family vacation or have a special celebration.
- Develop a checklist of items needed for camp (or get one from the camp) and work with your child to get everything together. Call the camp if there are items that you cannot secure for your camper. It is not necessary to buy a lot of new gear; most camps will have extra supplies or resources that will ensure that each camper arrives at his or her cabin with all the essentials to have a successful week at camp.
- Mark the first day of camp on the family calendar. Together with your child, mark each day off and spend a time talking about what a great experience it will be.
- Write your child a couple of letters and pack the sealed envelopes in their luggage a day or two before they leave for camp. Tell your son or daughter they can open them while they are away at camp. Take care not to increase feelings of homesickness or “being left out” with these messages.
- Pack paper, postcards and stamps so that your child can write to you.
- Encourage your child to have a “backyard sleep out” by pitching a tent in your backyard. This will give your son or daughter the freedom to navigate through their feelings of anxiety, curiosity, and excitement within the safety and security of their own home. Also, consider going to the library and checking out a kid’s book about summer camp and read it together by the light of your flashlight in the tent.
- When you arrive with your child at camp, make a point of meeting and connecting with the camp staff so your child can see that you are interested in, and trust the people that will be caring for them.
