Homesickness is not an uncommon event when kids and parents are separated for the first time, and whilst it can be uncomfortable for both parent and child, it’s important to remember that camp is a positive experience for your child- an experience which they will keep with them for their whole life.
On camp, there are numerous scheduled activities to engage your child and our team of dedicated professionals are extremely experienced in identifying and managing home sickness in our campers.
There are also things which parents can do before camp too. Here are five things which you can do to help your child cope with being away from home before camp even starts.
- Decision-making is a two-way street. Whilst the decision about where to go has already been made, what to pack should be a joint family endeavour. The more that the camper owns the decision, the more comfortable the child will feel being at camp.
- Talk to your child before camp. What does your child expect to do at camp? Learning about the camp experience ahead of time allows you to create positive expectations. This can take the form of becoming acquainted with our schedule, but also involves thinking about life away from home on an emotional level too. Talking with your child about these kinds of issues is a great way to show support as your child gets ready to take this important step. Also, communicate confidence in your child’s ability to handle being away from home, and share with your child that camp, like the rest of life, has high and low points.
- Practice, practice, practice! Encourage your child’s independence throughout the year with practice separations, such as sleepovers at a friend’s or grandma’s house. These experiences are great ways to simulate the camp environment.
- Making new friends at camp. If your child is shy about meeting new kids, encourage them to get to know others by being a good listener. Also, remind them that not everyone in their apartment, room, or group has to be their friend, and they don’t have to be everyone else’s friend, as long as they treat one another with respect.
- Homesickness can be prevented. Tell your child that some feelings of homesickness are normal. When children arrive at camp with a repertoire of coping strategies and some practice time away from home under their belts, they are ready for those normal feelings of homesickness.
During camp, our teachers and leaders will keep close track of which of our campers are at risk of succumbing to homesickness and we have a suite of techniques ranging from buddying older and younger kids together to engaging the homesick camper with games, or even getting them to help out with the running of the camp.
One thing worth noting is that it’s extremely important during camp that you realise that the time campers spend on the phone in the evening is their most vulnerable spot of the day and that it’s not wholly representative of their camp experience, so before making rash pronouncements or decisions concerning your child’s time on camp, please take the time to consult with the camp leader by phone or email.
Berlitz Kids' Camps 