Being at a summer camp is the most exciting and enriching part of your little one’s summer experiences. The memories and learnings from summer camp shall stay the most cherishes forever. But initial few days for first timers, or even regular campers, can be little difficult. Homesickness makes it distracting and emotionally unstable for first few days.
What to do if your child is homesick at overnight camp, becomes a major question we as parents start inquiring about. So we have you covered here with a compilation on how to deal with homesickness at sleepover camp. There are a few preparations you need to ensure before the child leaves for summer camp and some more guidelines to follow when the child is at the summer camp.
Homesickness is very common and can be seen in kids of all ages, some have more severe anxieties during night and some feel low during meal times. When they are a part of fun filled activities they would be occupied and not feel the separation anxiety. But when they get free they start feeling low and upset. Its more about how to overcome homesickness at night, since that’s the time when kids are missing parents the most,
Do not mark the overnight camps off yet, as they are much needed for your child’s learning and growth. Camp homesickness prevention can be easier when begun while packing for the camps, since camping experiences are invaluable.
What To Do If Your Child Is Homesick At Overnight Camp:
The things that can be done before the child leaves for summer camp. These are the proactive ways for camp homesickness prevention. These are as important as packing list for the summer camp.
1- Prep up even before you start packing for summer camp:
Talk to your child and explain how summer camp experiences are. Share your own stories from the past and make your child start longing for the summer camp. They can begin getting homesick even before actually leaving for summer camp. SO its better to have an in length discussion about everything what to expect and what happens when they are actually at the summer camp
2- Find contacts of friends attending the same camp:
There maybe some common friends too attending the summer camp, so try to find these contacts and help your child interact with them. The more familiar faces they find at the summer camp the lesser they will be homesick. Many kids are more comfortable when their best friends also attend the same camp. So try to get their few friend also sign up, as a group its very easy to enjoy day and night without missing family much and without getting homesick.
3- Try for sleepovers at friends’ prior to leaving for summer camps:
It is very important that your child can sleep away from you and family. So begin a few sleepovers at their friend’s place, so they are not in a state of shock when they actually reach the summer camp. Let sleeping over away from family be easier for them and the more they enjoy here the better they will be at the summer camps. Sleeping with cousins or friends will help in reducing their anxiety and make them more and more adjusted with the idea
4- Send a little bit of family along:
Send your family picture or album, along with your child. Additionally send lovely handwritten notes for the times they will miss you. Place them as surprise and write things that will re-energize them. Send along some charm or memento that would tell them, that you love them and miss them as much as they do. And plan a special day to give them before they leave for the camp.
5- Bring your comfort items too:
Let your child carry their favorite pajama, blanket, pillow cover and other things they just love to sleep with. This will ease them out and give them almost home like feeling. Make these items a part of their sleepover at the summer camps, and see how they get adjusted in a better way
What To Do If Your Child Is Homesick At Overnight Camp:
The tips which will help when the child is actually at the summer camp, and this is the time when they start feeling low and homesick. Their separation anxieties build up and make them miss parents and home. This maybe more prominent during night times and thus most of these are to help in comforting the child and keeping them distracted and inspired.
1- Write letters:
There are a lot of summer camps where you can send daily mails. These letters will help your little one to feel important and loved. Also it will help them find courage to keep up with the routine at summer camp. Let the conversation in the letters be light and upbeat, which will raise their spirits too. Don’t dwell too much on how you miss them and want them back badly. Just keep the tone lighter and humorous and share some stories that will excite and thrill them.
2- Call them or talk when they call:
The kids maybe allowed to make one call a day, and this is the time to help them overcome their homesickness. Keep discussing how you are proud of them and how this summer camp experience will add to their personality. Make them think of other exciting things like camera, friends and activities they did during the day so they keep connected with the summer camp.
3- Let your children be:
Don’t just rush back to pick them up from summer camps. Give them some time and this will help in bringing the most important virtues of resilience, independence and self esteem. Kids feel homesick in a moment and most often they get back to routine with activities. Let them conquer their fears and emotional out-pours. These would help the child gain self confidence and take responsibility of themselves.
4- Send books or games for these free times:
Send the most beloved books or games for their free times. The more involved they are, the quicker they will be adjusted at the sleep-away camp. These small things can make all the difference.
Some tips for parents who are also experiencing the pain and missing their kids badly:
It is not just the children but parents who too are under similar emotional roller-coaster. For them its more difficult as they don’t have activities of kids around. They need to be mentally strong and accept this as a cardinal part of their child’s overall development. Don’t keep asking yourself is my child ready for an overnight summer camp.
Getting independent and trained for challenges ahead will not only make them a better individual but also instill self-confidence and a sense of responsibility in them. The above compilation will help you and the child deal with homesickness at sleepover camps.
Summer camps are lifetime experiences and they make the kids stronger and better individuals. For more sever cases of homesickness and depression check with camp counselors and help in ways they find fit. Check campnavigator resources to find your child’s suitable pick. Share ahead and keep writing us, we love hearing from you!
By Minu Manisha
