Is your Child Ready for Sleepover Camp?
ask an expert: campcanada
(Apr.13.10)
How do I know if my child is ready for sleepover camp?
Miriam H. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Camp Director Marc Cooper answered;
That's a great question that I get every week. The question I ask back is, are you ready to send your son or daughter to sleepover camp? Most of the time, the parents have a harder time letting go of their little one and letting them experience all that sleepover camp has to offer.
For most kids, the time comes when the excitement of day camp wears off and they are ready for a little independence. Kids often travel with their friends, so if one friend is ready, it's not uncommon that they bring another friend with them. This allows both campers to feel a sense of comfort knowing that they already have a friend.
One of the big questions to ask yourself is: does your child feel comfortable when they sleep at a friend's house? Have they ever slept at a friend's house? The best thing to do is meet with the camp director in your own home with the kids and let them ask questions, get a sense of their comfort level and then make the decision.
If your child cries the moment you leave them at a playdate, then they're not ready for camp. Below are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Do your children play any organized sports? How are they in a group setting?
- Do they make friends easily?
- Are they OK with personal hygiene?
- How are they with routine?
- How are they with new routines?
- Do they show an interest in the outdoors?
- Camp isn't the Four Seasons. Are they going to be OK with living in a cabin? (They may even have some sand in their bed.)
A lot of the time, parents send their kids to camp to "break away." The funny thing is, most of the time, it's the kids who are first to bring the idea of sleepover camp up. It's the parents that have a difficult time "letting go."
Marc Cooper is the Director at Camp Tamarack, located in Bracebridge, Ontario. www.camptamarack.info. Tamarack provides campers ages 7-16 the summer of a lifetime.
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