Get Ready for Camp

Before choosing a camp, parents should evaluate their child’s interests, skills and overall well-being to make sure he or she can effectively participate in a particular camp environment. Parents should also medically and psychologically prepare their child for camp, and work with their pediatrician, camp health providers and administrators on a pre-camp health evaluation.

To help prevent homesickness, the following tips may be helpful for parents and prospective campers:

– Involve the child in choosing a camp and preparing for it.

– Be positive about the upcoming experience and openly discuss homesickness.

– Arrange practice trips or sleepovers away from home with friends or relatives.

– Avoid making prearranged pickup plans, which can cause a child to question his or her independence.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics and healthykids.org