Page 19 - Greenwood Trails Camper Handbook

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Tips for avoiding homesickness

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The Most Powerful Ways Parents Can Help Prevent Distressing Homesickness
•Include your child in camp planning, so your camper has a sense of control.
•Talk with your child about homesickness, so they understand it’s normal.
•Use a wall calendar to plan for camp and avoid unpleasant surprises.
•Put length of stay in perspective, to help your child grasp the duration of camp.
•Re-frame time, to make the camp stay seem relatively short.
•Keep your doubts to yourself, so you don’t make your child more anxious.
•Arrange for practice time away from home, so you and your child get used to being apart for a
while.
•Have your child practice walking in the dark with a flashlight (and shoes on).
•If possible, avoid moves and traumatic separations in the weeks just before or during camp.
•Be truthful about stressful issues. This helps children trust adults.
•Provide comfort to your child after negative life events, so he’s less worried while at camp.
•Send your child a letter at camp before the first day.

The Most Powerful Ways Parents Can Avoid
Feelings of “Kid Sickness”
•Avoid expressing mixed feelings about camp. You’ll
all feel better.
•Learn about Greenwood Trails! Call us anytime with
questions or just to say hello! It is important that you
feel just as comfortable as your camper does.
•Talk with other camp parents.
•Prepare your child for cabin life with discussions
that include treating others fairly, cooperating, being
a good sport, using good manners, respecting privacy
and possessions and asking before borrowing things.
•Stay busy.
•Write often. A good letter from home is newsy,
upbeat and encouraging. You want to instill
confidence and support your child’s growing
independence. (sample parent letter is included)
•Provide pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes
and paper for your child.

The above lists are borrowed from The Summer Camp Handbook by

Christopher A. Thurber, PhD and Jon C. Malinowski, PhD

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