Hey, Camp Preppers!

One of the key decisions you and your camper will have to make about camp is determining what the length of the camp stay should be. This part of your summer camp preparation is extremely important. When a camp stay gets to be too long for a child, homesickness is the inevitable response.

So how do you know what the right length of time is for your camper’s camp stay? The age of your camper is always a good place to start. Most overnight camps won’t take campers unless they’re at least seven or eight years old.

Typically, the younger the child is, the shorter the camp stay should be. However, this isn’t always the case as every kid is different. Some seven-year-olds could go all summer away from home while some preteens may struggle with a two-week stay.

Another thing to take into account besides age is your camper’s experience in being away from home and how they seem to handle it. You can gauge this with sleepovers your kid has at a friend’s house or a weekend stay with a relative. Try talking to your kid after stays like these about any feelings of homesickness that they had and let them know that it’s normal to miss being away from home.

It’s always helpful to children when you can give them a concrete idea of how long their camp stay actually is. Letting them know that a week-long camp stay would be like the family trip that you took last year to visit Uncle Max is an excellent tactic to help your kid prepare for their time away.

Involving your camper in the decision about the length of their camp stay is also a smart way to decrease their feelings of homesickness during the time away. It’s imperative that a kid WANTS to stay the full length of their camp stay. If they feel forced to stay longer than what they are comfortable with, you are risking intense homesickness for your child.

When it comes down to it (especially when given a more ‘concrete’ idea of how long a certain period of time is) talking to your kid openly about it is the best route to take. Kids are usually pretty good at knowing how much time away they can take.

As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey Camp Fans!

Check out today’s Throwback Thursday to get great information about co-shopping for your summer camp prep. Having your kid help out with shopping, packing, and general involvement in the preparations is certain to put a positive spin on their summer camp stay. ‘Throwback’ to April 24 of last year to learn from summer camp expert, Chris Thurber, easy ways you can involve your child in summer camp prepping.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Today I have another Throwback Thursday for you in which we link back to an old Blog post that we think is SO helpful we want to put it in front of you again. ‘Throwback’ to March 20 of last year to review great tips from Dr. Thurber about attending summer camp along with a friend. What may sound like an incredibly helpful idea may not be as wise as it seems.

Look back with us today to glean great points about why summer camping with a friend may not be the best approach.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Today I have another Throwback Thursday for you in which we link back to an old Blog post that we think is SO helpful we want to put it in front of you again. ‘Throwback’ to March 20 of last year to review great tips from Dr. Thurber about attending summer camp along with a friend. What may sound like an incredibly helpful idea may not be as wise as it seems.

Look back with us today to glean great points about why summer camping with a friend may not be the best approach.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Just about everybody loves summer camp! That’s why summer camps are filled with diversity. Despite the similarities we may see in each other, we also know that everyone is different. We all come from our own, separate worlds—even brothers and sisters who grew up under the same roof are different.

Sometimes our differences with other people can collide undesirably. Bullying is more often a problem encountered in school, but it can certainly happen at camp too.

Well, if there’s a chance of bullying at camp then why bother going, right? No, no, no. Don’t think that way. Camp is full of memories that will last a lifetime. I still remember my summer camp experiences like they happened yesterday! You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity because there’s a chance you could encounter a bully.

Instead, just learn how to handle one. There are just a few things to keep in mind:

1.) First of all, knowing when and where a bully may try to strike is important because being ready for it is half the battle. Bullies will typically strike when a counselor isn’t around like in the showers or in the bunks after lights out.

Being ready for an encounter with a bully means remaining calm.

2.) The best response you can give a bully is the lack of one. Ignore them. Walk away. Or just tell them that you don’t care about what they have to say. Bullies want to control your emotions. If you show them they can’t, they tend to lose interest in you.

If your bullying problem involves physical force, it’s very important that you find some way to protect yourself and be sure to tell a counselor or some other adult about any threats or assaults. Adults have a way of solving the problem and can usually do so without the bully even knowing that it was you who said something.

3.) Lastly, it always helps to flip the script. Instead of seeing bullies as villains, try seeing them for what they really are: a miserably frustrated kid who wants to make others feel just as miserable as they do. Don’t allow it to happen.

It’s true, these three pointers are all easier said than done—but if you can stay calm and stay in control of your emotions, bullies WILL overlook you as a potential victim. Don’t stand for bullying and enjoy your time at camp! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John