4. Stay busy.
Make plans for the time your son or daughter will be at camp. Maybe you’ll just have some quiet time alone. Or, if you have younger children at home who are not going to camp, this will give you some precious individual time with them. Some families enjoy planning weekend vacations while their
children
are at camp. (Just give the camp a phone number where you or a family
friend can be reached, if needed.) Other families have the time and
money to take week-long vacations. When children are living at home,
it’s rare for adults to have child-free time, so seize the opportunity
if you can.
If you must continue your usual routine while your child is at camp, at least stay busy in little ways. See friends, go out to the movies, or tackle some project you’ve been putting off. If you stay busy, missing your child won’t bother you much. Of course you’ll think about him, and of course you’ll miss him. But overnight camp is an important growth experience for him. Think positively and stay busy.
5. Get some news from your child’s cabin leader.
When we were cabin leaders, we especially enjoyed parents who devised creative ways to keep in touch. Keeping in touch with us—the cabin leaders—was a comfort to our campers’ parents. In addition to handing us letters for their child on opening day, some parents would hand us stamped postcards addressed to them. “Send me a note in a day or two,” they would say. “I’d just like to hear how things are going.” Using this method, it’s a cinch for your child’s cabin leader to update you on how things are going at camp. The news will put your mind at ease.
6. Write often.
Renewing contact with your child feels good, so write to her often. She’ll love the renewed contact, too. For you, camp may seem close, but for kids, camp can seem as distant as the moon. It’s strange, different, and far, far away from home. Make it seem closer by staying in touch. Later on, we’ll give you some tips on writing positive letters and responding to signs of homesickness. Just remember: children are not good correspondents. Your child will deeply appreciate every letter you send, but she may not return more than one or two.
7. Take Care of Yourself.
Relax. Take a bath. Read. Walk. Sleep. Visit a friend. Your child is having a great time at camp. Why shouldn’t you enjoy your time at home? Some parents have told me that they feel guilty about having a good time while their child is away at camp. Don’t. He hasn’t gone away to fight a war or elope or sail around the world alone. (Not yet, anyway.) No, he’s not doing anything dangerous or sneaky. He’s at an overnight camp with plenty of supervision and fun activities to do. So take care of yourself. Enjoy the time apart. And, when camp is over, enjoy the time back together.
Make plans for the time your son or daughter will be at camp. Maybe you’ll just have some quiet time alone. Or, if you have younger children at home who are not going to camp, this will give you some precious individual time with them. Some families enjoy planning weekend vacations while their
If you must continue your usual routine while your child is at camp, at least stay busy in little ways. See friends, go out to the movies, or tackle some project you’ve been putting off. If you stay busy, missing your child won’t bother you much. Of course you’ll think about him, and of course you’ll miss him. But overnight camp is an important growth experience for him. Think positively and stay busy.
5. Get some news from your child’s cabin leader.
When we were cabin leaders, we especially enjoyed parents who devised creative ways to keep in touch. Keeping in touch with us—the cabin leaders—was a comfort to our campers’ parents. In addition to handing us letters for their child on opening day, some parents would hand us stamped postcards addressed to them. “Send me a note in a day or two,” they would say. “I’d just like to hear how things are going.” Using this method, it’s a cinch for your child’s cabin leader to update you on how things are going at camp. The news will put your mind at ease.
6. Write often.
Renewing contact with your child feels good, so write to her often. She’ll love the renewed contact, too. For you, camp may seem close, but for kids, camp can seem as distant as the moon. It’s strange, different, and far, far away from home. Make it seem closer by staying in touch. Later on, we’ll give you some tips on writing positive letters and responding to signs of homesickness. Just remember: children are not good correspondents. Your child will deeply appreciate every letter you send, but she may not return more than one or two.
7. Take Care of Yourself.
Relax. Take a bath. Read. Walk. Sleep. Visit a friend. Your child is having a great time at camp. Why shouldn’t you enjoy your time at home? Some parents have told me that they feel guilty about having a good time while their child is away at camp. Don’t. He hasn’t gone away to fight a war or elope or sail around the world alone. (Not yet, anyway.) No, he’s not doing anything dangerous or sneaky. He’s at an overnight camp with plenty of supervision and fun activities to do. So take care of yourself. Enjoy the time apart. And, when camp is over, enjoy the time back together.
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