CAMP WORKS
Parents tell us that they know camp “works” because they see positive changes in their children’s behavior. It will be interesting to see exactly what you notice when your son or daughter returns home. Of course, just knowing how valuable camps are isn’t going to keep you from being concerned. Let’s take a look at the research.
A few years ago, we studied parents’ anxiety about their kids’ going to camp. Several hundred
parents were asked to rate how much they agreed with statements such as, “Summer camp is good for children,” and “When I am away from my child, I feel lonely and miss him a lot.” Almost all parents strongly agreed with the following statements:
No surprises, right? Sounds like a confident group of parents who know what’s good for their kids and who recognize the value of camping. No doubt you agree with these statements, too. But don’t worry, you’re not alone in your concern either. The very same parents also agreed with statements like the following:
It’s normal, then, to experience a combination of wanting your child to go to camp and being concerned about her well-being. There are two important things to remember about these mixed bfeelings. First, avoid expressing them to your child. Instead, strive to convey a uniformly positive message about camp. Your child needs your absolute confidence. Second, learn ways to cope with your concern or anxiety.
If only it were that simple, right? In reality, it can be a challenge to manage your strong feelings about your child’s going away to overnight camp. But it’s not impossible. Let’s examine the two solutions.
Parents tell us that they know camp “works” because they see positive changes in their children’s behavior. It will be interesting to see exactly what you notice when your son or daughter returns home. Of course, just knowing how valuable camps are isn’t going to keep you from being concerned. Let’s take a look at the research.
A few years ago, we studied parents’ anxiety about their kids’ going to camp. Several hundred
- Summer camp is good for children.
- Children learn important social and athletic skills at summer camp.
- My child will benefit from group experiences since they will provide him with social experiences that he could not get at home.
- It is good for my child to spend time away from me so that she can learn to deal independently with unfamiliar people and new situations.
- Children are happy and have fun at summer camp.
No surprises, right? Sounds like a confident group of parents who know what’s good for their kids and who recognize the value of camping. No doubt you agree with these statements, too. But don’t worry, you’re not alone in your concern either. The very same parents also agreed with statements like the following:
- I miss my child when I am away from him.
- When I am away from my child, I often wonder whether she is all right.
- Hugging my child makes me feel so good that I really miss the physical closeness when I’m away.
It’s normal, then, to experience a combination of wanting your child to go to camp and being concerned about her well-being. There are two important things to remember about these mixed bfeelings. First, avoid expressing them to your child. Instead, strive to convey a uniformly positive message about camp. Your child needs your absolute confidence. Second, learn ways to cope with your concern or anxiety.
If only it were that simple, right? In reality, it can be a challenge to manage your strong feelings about your child’s going away to overnight camp. But it’s not impossible. Let’s examine the two solutions.
PREVIOUS TABLE OF CONTENTS NEXT
©2009 by Jon Malinowski & Christopher Thurber. All rights reserved.
No part of this website may be copied or used in any way without permission. If you wish to share the content of this site, please link to http://summercamphandbook.com or contact us for licensing.
