Hey, Camp Parents!

Today’s post concludes our July Tips and Advice series about Opening Day, Visiting Day, and Closing Day at summer camp. Using the endlessly helpful wisdom that Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski put down in ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, today I’m sharing tips on achieving a successful Closing Day. Check out these four great tips about things to do on the last day of camp:

Punctuality
First and foremost, know when Closing Day is! Unfortunately, there have been parents who have gotten confused about which day is Closing Day. Mark the date and mark it well. Also, punctuality is a big deal. It’s best not to give a single specific time that you’ll be there, but more of a window (from 9:30 – 10:30). You don’t want to be much later and have your kid worry, nor do you want to arrive too early and not be able to find your kid because they’re off running around, finishing some last-minute job.

Tasks
Plan to spend a little time at camp on Closing Day. You’ll have administrative chores like closing accounts, signing out, talking with the cabin leader, possibly checking with the medical staff, and combing through the lost-and-found. Most important, many kids want to share their positive experiences, give their parents a tour of camp, and introduce new friends. Yet, some kids just want to get in the car and go (even though they had a great time).

What to expect
Kids’ reactions to being reunited with their parents are tough to predict. All kids are different but most fall into categories of four typical reactions: 1) Most kids want to tell you anything and everything that happened at camp. 2.) Some kids are quiet, feeling a little sad to leave camp and want to leave quickly to get it over with. 3.) Still, other kids tear up at the close of camp and prefer to linger a while. 4.) And our last category likes to pick out the most dramatic thing that happened at camp and maybe exaggerate stories a tad. The main point is that you should be ready to play the day by ear since you won’t know what to expect.

Debriefing
Regardless of how your child acts on Closing Day, it’s always good to get an experienced adult perspective. The cabin leader is the best place to start. These conversations can be insightful, but you may have to probe to get the information you want. Most cabin leaders tend to smile a lot and tell parents that the session went well. Part of their job is to have a positive attitude. Nevertheless, all cabin leaders mentally evaluate the kids with whom they work. How could they not have some opinions based on a week or more of living with your child? Ask some questions like these to get the answers you want:

•    What did you enjoy most about the session?
•    What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?
•    How did my child interact with the other kids? What kind of strengths and weaknesses did you pick up on?
•    Which activities did my child like best?
•    Were there any discipline problems with my child? How were they handled?
•    Was my child polite?
•    Is there anything to work on with my child before next year at camp?

Make Closing Day a warm, relaxed reunion and continue getting the most of your child’s summer camp experience right down to the very end. Have fun bringing your kid back home and, as always, thanks for reading.

 

- John

Hey, Visitors!

Welcome back to our Tips and Advice series in July for drop-offs, visits, and pick-ups. Borrowing from Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski—authors of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’—today’s post offers invaluable wisdom about visiting your kid at camp. All camps are different. Some have Visiting Days and others don’t. Your kid’s camp stay may only last a week in which case there’s likely no Visiting Day between the drop-off and pick-up.

If there is a Visiting Day, you should make every effort to go. If you simply can’t, try to work out another arrangement. Although it’s not as fun as seeing one’s own parents, kids do enjoy going out with their friends and their friends’ family on a Visiting Day. Set it up by phone, email, or fax to give permission for someone else to take your kid out of camp. You’ll want to make arrangements in advance so your camper is well-aware and comfortable with the plan.

But assuming that you can attend Visiting Day, here are some good things to keep in mind on Visiting Day:

Only Visit on Visiting Day
More so than phone calls, in-person visits are an immediate form of contact that can provoke homesickness in your child and spark envy among new friends. Unscheduled visits are disruptive to campers’ developing sense of independence. If you have any doubts about the appropriateness of your visit, be sure to call the camp first and speak with the director.

Be on Time
Stick to what you promised on opening day. Your son or daughter will be counting on it.

Take a Tour
Your child would love to show you around camp. Keep any critical comments to yourself—this is your child’s time to shine, not defend the fun time they’re having.

Keep an Open Mind
You’ll wonder about certain aspects of camp. Ask gently for an explanation before passing judgment. Offer genuine praise for all of your child’s accomplishments.

Prepare for Strong Feelings
Visiting Day can be a wonderfully emotional time, but it’s often hard for kids to say goodbye. Resist the temptation to offer your child a ride home. Instead, be understanding and encouraging. You’ll see them again soon.

Share Sad News Early and in Person
Telling your child about the death of a pet or sharing any other bad news is best done in person, not in a letter or a phone call (when you’re not there to provide comfort). Break any bad news to your child early on Visiting Day to give you both time to talk about it.

To get even more great information about these six elements of Visiting Day, pick up your own copy of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’. Have fun come Visiting Day and make sure you tune in next Monday for tips about Closing Day at summer camp. And, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John

 

Hey, Camp Parents!

The camp season is upon us and Opening Day is a BIG day for campers, parents, and staff alike. This post is the first of three throughout July that will focus on the important parts of navigating opening day, visiting day, and closing day at camp. Summer camp experts Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski break down the six most important elements of a successful Opening Day in their comprehensive guidebook, ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’:

Make a Travel Plan

You’ll want to add an additional hour or two to your travel time when headed to camp. You might need to stop along the way for a toothbrush, pillow, or any other items that you suddenly realize were left at home. Plan a relaxed trip. Stop for lunch if camp opens in the afternoon. If camp registration starts in the morning and you live far from camp, it might be wisest to make the trip the day before and spend the night nearby. A positive attitude is key on this trip as it sets the tone for your kid’s entire camp experience!

 

Complete Registration
Registration is a way for the camp to ensure that everyone who is scheduled to arrive has made it to camp. Punctuality is important for camp registration; early arrivals inevitably interfere with the last-minute touches the staff is making. Be ready to meet directors, check in, get assigned a cabin, see the medical staff if you need to, unpack your kid’s gear, and meet the staff. If you won’t be able to be with your kid at registration, you’ll need to complete some basic pieces of Opening Day by phone or mail.

Meet Your Child’s Leader
There are likely to be more than just one cabin leader who will be working closely with your kid this summer, but you’ll want to be sure to meet at least one of them. Open up to them about any physical, behavioral, emotional, and medical issues they should know about with your kid. It’s smart to ask the cabin leader questions about themselves too to give yourself a better idea of whose hands you’re leaving your child in. Ask questions about their own experience at camp, where they go to school, where they live. It’ll make you feel better.

Address Medical, Behavioral, and Emotional Concerns
Be sure to talk with the camp director and a representative of the medical staff about any concerns you have—especially medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, recent injuries, illnesses, physical disabilities, or any others. The decision about whether to share information is up to you, of course. However, it is hardly ever beneficial to leave the camp in the dark about significant issues. Had staff been informed about a problem or concern, they could have helped out right away instead of guessing at what a problem is.

Allocate Spending Money
Most camps do not allow campers to keep cash with them. Therefore, the camp may ask you to allocate spending money for your child to purchase items at the camp store, buy projects at the arts and crafts shop, pay for out-of-camp trips, and so on. Some camps include spending money in the registration fees; others ask you to make a deposit when you register. If the camp does not publish a suggested amount in their information packet, ask the director how much spending money is adequate. You’ll get back whatever is leftover at the end of the session.

Say Goodbye
It’s smart to ask your camper ahead of time how long they want to hang out together at camp before parents head home. Some kids want their parents to stick around, others are ready to push you out the door. How will you say good-bye? A short walk? A hug and a kiss? Just a hug? A high-five? Talking it over now will make your good-bye go more smoothly. Also, once you’ve said goodbye, you should make your resolved departure. Lingering or unexpectedly returning can increase your kid’s anxiety.

To get even more great information about these six elements of Opening Day, pick up your own copy of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’. Enjoy Opening Day as best you can and tune in next Monday for tips about Visiting Days at camp. As always, thanks for reading!

 

- John

Hey, Camp Parents!

Last week I posted about sending emails to your camper—when it’s appropriate and how to write a good one to your camper. Today’s post, the final installment in our camp correspondence series, concentrates on the two least-used forms of communication during your kid’s summer camp stay: phone calls and care packages. Let’s talk about the telephone first.

Phone Calls
As discussed in last week’s post on email, the same is true for phone calls; all camps are different with differing views on allowing their campers to talk to their parents over the phone.

Some camps allow phone calls once a week, believing talks with parents to be helpful and supportive. But most camps discourage contact by phone and ask that calls are saved for rare emergencies. The popular philosophy is that the sound of a parents’ voice can stir a deep longing for home which is often detrimental to the chief goal of camp—independence!

Neither philosophy is wrong, but talking on the phone—an immediate means of communication—hinders independence while other means of communication (i.e. letter-writing) take whole days to be sent back and forth and, thus, foster independence—and support too! If your child’s camp does allow phone calls, try to keep it to a minimum so your camper gets the most out camp.

CampMinder.com or Bunk1.com are great online services that help parents schedule time to talk with their campers by way of phone. You can learn more about these services in our post from last week.

Care Packages
Campers have been known to get boxes of goodies like fun toys, cool clothes, favorite magazines, and other gifts from their parents. Care packages certainly make a kid feel great, but no parent should ever feel obligated to send one to their camper. As camp experts Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski say in ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, “Camp is a huge gift in itself.”

Should you decide, however, to send a care package to your camper, it’s important to follow the camp’s policy on what items campers can have. Keep in mind that your camper is part of a group. Here are some things to think about when you send a care package.

SIZE
Don’t send anything too big. A ridiculously big care package may be funny to other campers and embarrassing to yours. Remember, the point is not to spoil your child, it’s simply to put a smile on their face and remind them that you’re thinking of them.

FOOD/PERISHABLES
Send only what the camp allows. Some camps allow campers to receive food, candy, and gum. Others do not. Food can be problematic as it attracts animals and bugs. Without proper storage, food rots and becomes a health hazard. Don’t put your kid in an awkward situation.

GAMES/TOYS/BOOKS
These are great care package items—especially things that your child can share with his fellow campers like board games, Frisbees, playing cards, and fun reading material like MadLibs, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and comics. Other good items that your camper won’t have to share are a shirt, family photo, a novel, or a small stuffed animal.

So that’s all for our June series on camp correspondence. I hope these posts have been helpful for your camper’s upcoming summer camp experience. As always, thanks for reading.

 

- John

Hey, Camp Parents!

Last week I posted tips for writing letters to your camper—the best option for communicating with your kid during their time away at camp. Today’s post focuses in on email. Lots of camps out there offer a one-way email service to provide a speedier way to communicate with your camper. Speedier messaging methods may be handy, but they also sacrifice the personal touch that a handwritten letter delivers.

As camp experts Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski put it in their helpful guidebook, ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, “Sending your child an e-mail may make her feel more like a business colleague than your own flesh and blood. There is no substitute for a handwritten letter.”

Is it ever okay to email?
Sometimes it might be your best option. If you have an urgent message or you don’t have time to write a letter, email may be the way to go. It’s smart to confirm the camp’s policy when it comes to email. All camps are different. Some allow kids to receive emails but not to send them. Some camps will send parents a PDF image of their child’s handwritten reply.

If you find yourself in a situation where email is the best route, keep in mind that it should represent a letter as much as possible. That means including a salutation, proper punctuation, paragraph breaks, and a warm closing. You’re sending your kid word from home, not typing out a careless office memo.

Check out CampMinder.com, a service parents can use to communicate with their camper. Parents log into their account, type out an email, and CampMinder sends your word to your kid’s camp where it’s then printed out and delivered to your child along with stationery and a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to reply.

Another similar place to visit is Bunk1.com, offering the same service as well as a fun photo platform so that parents can sneak a peek into the camp life and maybe even see the permanent smile that their kid is wearing. These sites take privacy very seriously and have taken measures to solidify the security of their sites.

Your kid is likely out playing, having fun, and making the most of every day! They aren’t sitting in front of a computer, so don’t expect an immediate response to an email. In fact, some camps have their computers whole miles away from the cabins and, consequentially, emails are checked just once a day. In that case, email isn’t necessarily any faster form of communication than a mailed letter.

Tune in again next Monday to get a closer look at making phone calls and sending care packages to your camper. And, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John