Parents Letting Go

Going to camp is an exciting time in a child’s life and often a child’s first step towards self-

reliance.  Often times, parents experience nervousness about letting their child go to camp 

and navigate their way without them.

So, how can parents become more comfortable with their child going to camp?   Renee Flax, Camper Placement Specialist for the American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey offers parents some tips that will help ease their concerns. 

•           Talk to the camp director.  When you are choosing a camp, ask the camp director questions and get to know him or her.  Ask the director to describe the camp’s philosophy and how the staff implements it.  Make sure the philosophy reflects your own families’ value system.   Find out about the camp director’s background and the staff training.  Ask about the age of the counselors and what is the counselor to camper ratio?  Talking to the camp director and learning about the camp program will help parents feel more comfortable and will ease some nerves they may have.
•        Keep in mind that camp directors have your child’s best interests in mind and the skill to guide your child towards an appropriate level of independence. 
•          Remember that kids often get over the adjustment to new experiences and a new environment before parents get used to the next stage of development.  
•          Once your child is at camp, don’t focus too much on correspondence from camp in the first few days of camp. If you have a discouraging conversation or receive a less than enthusiastic letter from your child, remember that like any new experience, adjusting to camp may take a few days.   
•           Camp is a setting that allows your child to experience the real world in a safe environment. Kids learn quickly to rely upon themselves and the camp staff.   By sending your child to camp, you will be giving him or her the opportunity to grow more independent which builds self-esteem and confidence. 

Five Benefits of Going to Summer Camp

We all know camp is fun.  How could it not be with so many different activities and special events!  But besides the fun children have, there are many benefits for children who attend camp.  Here are just five of the benefits of camp.

Camp allows kids to unplug from technology - Today’s children spend over 7.5 hours a day engaged in media.  The majority of summer camps don’t allow campers to have smart phones, ipads, and computers, allowing children to focus on learning new activities and social interactions.

Camp provides children with the skills needed to become successful adults in the 21^st century - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a group of businesses, education leaders, and policymakers including the U.S Department of Education, AOL Time Warner Foundation, Apple Computer, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc. and others, has performed extensive research on the skills needed to become successful adults in life and work in the 21^st century.   The majority of essential skills needed for success are fostered at camp and include oral communication, collaboration, work ethic, creativity, leadership, social skills, problem solving and critical thinking.

Summer camp helps stem summer learning loss in children- Summer programs keep students engaged in learning.   According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), intentional summer programs, like camp, help stem summer learning loss – providing experiences that challenge children, develop talents, keep them engaged, and expand horizons.

Camp keeps kids active and moving- Children today are more sedentary than ever and they don’t get enough exercise.  According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 17% of children and adolescents are obese.  At camp, children are active all day long playing soccer, swimming, hiking, and playing gaga. 

Children make wonderful friends at camp - Camp is a community where children bond quickly by sharing in the activities and the traditions of camp.  Research by the American Camp Association (ACA) has found that 96% of campers say that camp helped them make new friends and 69% of parents say their child remains in contact with friends made at camp.