Is Jenny ready for camp?
Many parents ask the question, “How do we know if our daughter is really ready to attend overnight camp?”  While every child is different, it has been our experience that children are usually ready to attend camp by age 6 or 7, but sometimes not until age 8.  Children who have attended Camp Notre Dame’s day camp program have been well introduced to the camping experience and are very prepared for their first overnight experience.  Even if your child did not attend day camp, they are probably ready for camp if they have had other “away-from-home” experiences like sleep-overs at a friend’s house, visits to out of town relatives or even family vacations where they slept away from home.

Choosing the right camp.
It is important for parents to research the overnight camp that they will be attending. Visiting the camp on Open House day is a must.  Families can familiarize themselves with the camp grounds and meet some of the staff.  Parents should have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers that will help alleviate any fears that they have about “letting go” for this very important first camping experience. 

Who is homesick, parent or child or both??
Having met with and talked to parents for over 20 years, the answer is:  parents usually miss their children more than children miss their parents!!  Six days is a long time for parents to be away from their children and some parents decide that this is just too long.  In our experience it is usually the parent’s homesickness that has to be overcome, not the child’s!  By the time they are finally ready to “let go”, the child may be too old or develop a case of teenage homesickness, which is the hardest to overcome. 

“Once we decide to send our child to camp, what can we do to help get them ready?”
While on the inside you may be feeling unsure about whether you can go six days without seeing your child, on the outside it is important not to plant seeds of doubt.  If you are convinced you can’t last the week without your child, it won’t take much for her to feel the same way.  Try to keep your comments positive, like “I can’t wait for you to go to camp” or “we’ll miss you, but you’ll be having so much fun!” 

Another get ready strategy is to find out if anyone from your child’s school or family is also going to camp at the same time.  Many campers bring a friend who is the same age so they can bunk together.  Those kids that don’t are usually pleasantly surprised when they arrive at camp and recognize someone from their school also attending.  Having a friend or relative at camp will help ease parents’ minds and make Sunday drop off a little bit easier.

Another strategy is don’t make promises you can’t keep.  Parents and children need to be prepared for a lack of communication while their child is away at camp.  Camp Notre Dame does not have enough phone lines to accommodate 140 children calling home each week.  Don’t promise them that they can call you if they get homesick.  You can guarantee your child will be homesick if they think it will get them to a telephone!  What you can do is send them mail every day and even send a card or package the Friday before they arrive at camp!  This way they will get something from home on Monday and know that you still remember them!

Ultimately it is your decision to send your child to camp and you know your child best.  Hopefully you will be ready when they are and your summer camping experience will be one that is repeated year after year.  Your words of support and encouragement go a long way in helping your child experience the wonders of camp and guarantee that they will come home with a great sense of accomplishment!