Summer sleepaway camps are great opportunities for kids and teens to enjoy some time away from home, participate in a range of new activities, and make some new friends. But sleepaway camps are often a child’s first time spending multiple nights (often weeks!) away from home, and homesickness is a common occurrence. We found these tips helpful to minimize the chance of your child getting homesick while at summer camp, or to help them to better cope with the situation if they do feel homesick.
Discuss Homesickness Ahead of Time
Start by having a discussion about homesickness well before the date to send your child to camp. Remind your child that feeling homesick is a natural reaction to being away from their family and their familiar setting. You can also tell your child that other campers will probably feel homesick too, and if they do miss their family, they won’t be the only ones feeling this way.
This is also a great time to remind kids of what they can do if they do feel homesick. Encourage them to talk to a camp counselor about their concerns and remind them that you’ll be at the camp ready to see them on visitor day and to pick them up on the last day.
Send Kids to Camp with a Positive Outlook
When it’s time to send your child to camp, make it an exciting and celebratory day. Be positive about how much fun your kid will have at camp. Have them help you make a list of what to pack for camp, and Include them in your shopping activities for camp. You can help your child get settled in at camp a bit, but then try to make your goodbye quick and easy.
Stay Calm if Homesickness Happens
Remind yourself that it’s likely that your child will get homesick, and if you receive a call to let you know this is the case, it’s important to stay calm. Often, campers can work through homesickness on their own within a day or so and will go on to thoroughly enjoy their time at camp. If you suspect that your child will get homesick, then you may want to have a conversation with counselors about the best action to take in this case. Getting the camper involved in activities and keeping them busy can help to keep their mind off of missing home.
Avoid Phone Calls
It may be tempting to call your child when you hear that they’re homesick, but this may have the opposite effect that you’re looking for. When kids hear a familiar voice, they may actually feel more homesick and it may increase their desire to go home early.
Instead, try to communicate through camp counselors to get updates on how your child is doing. If a camper is severely homesick, then counselors may advise you to have a phone conversation with them.
If you do talk to your child, stay positive and remind them that they made a commitment to attend the camp. Tell them that you’ll visit them (if a visit is scheduled) and will pick them up once camp is over, and tell them that homesickness is temporary and that they’ll start to feel better with a little time.
If your child’s homesickness is truly debilitating, then a camp leader may make the decision that they need to go home. In most cases, though, campers do feel better as they continue on with the camp and get more involved with the activities.
This article is a great resource for additional information about homesickness and how to deal with it at summer camps.
