Normal Nervousness About Going Away to Camp

 This time of year we hear from families – mostly new families but some returning families as well – about their daughter being nervous about going away to camp this summer.

We have some ideas to help you out and so do the experts. This article gives you some ideas on supporting your nervous camper: How to handle summer camp anxiety 

While validating her concerns is a good idea, it’s also okay to acknowledge her concerns and redirect her from focusing too much on summer camp right now. It is a long ways till summer and your daughter will have a lot of life experiences in the next 6 months. She will mature and grow helping her with the idea of being away. In the spring some of the tips suggested in the above article will help.

Here’s one of our favorite camp psychologist, Dr. Christopher Thurber’s ideas of how to help your child adjust to the idea of camp: Click Here

 

 

 

Or, for a quick look right now, here are some of our ideas:

 

• Get your daughter involved in the packing process and buying a few new things for camp will engage her
• Share that it is okay to be nervous and it is a normal feeling, tell her about times you’ve been nervous to do something and how you coped
• Let her know you want to help her and together you will come up with a plan
• Practice with sleepovers and weekends at grandparents’ home helps
• Address specific questions she has will help reduce her uncertainty,
• Look at our video and interacting with the camp map will get her involved
• View our YouTube videos and if you use Facebook, checking out our posts and pictures are good ways to see the fun parts of camp.

Are you feeling a little anxious too? Check out  Dr. Michael Thompson’s book, Homesick and Happy – How Time Away From Parents Can Help a Child Grow.

We look forward to a super 2015 season with your daughter. Let us know if you need a little extra support, we would be happy to help!