TIPS FOR OVERCOMING HOMESICKNESS AT SUMMER CAMP

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If Homesickness Strikes….

homesick summer camp

Often, all homesick campers need is a little help from their camp friends.

With the goal of encouraging children to be self-sufficient and independent, summer camps are experts at helping kids deal with homesickness.

“Summer Camps know how to welcome and integrate new campers successfully,” writes Catherine Ross, who was the director of a summer Camp for 20 years.

While overnight camp means adjusting to being away from home, most new campers actually never experience homesickness and prolonged homesickness is rare, Ross points out.

“Children are more adaptable, capable and resilient than we sometimes expect,” she says.

Whether or not homesickness strikes, camp staff ensure a smooth transition for new campers right from the start. Orientation and a guided tour help children become familiar and comfortable with the camp.

If a camper is homesick, the director and the entire staff are made aware of the situation so that everyone can be supportive and encouraging.

The counsellors are not only friends but also patient and sympathetic mentors. “They know that the best medicine is to keep their camper busy, urge them to cope with one day at a time and reassure them that others have experienced what they are feeling, but they soon recovered,” Ross explains.

“Mostly, we encourage them to participate in activities,” says Jeunes Diplomates Summer camp counsellor Tina Munnings. “When they’re having fun, they’re less homesick.”

The Benefits of Summer Camp

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Why go to Summer Camp?

Camp is more than just fun and games…camp is a life campus

Summer camp! So much fun, but more than that … so much learned.

At first glance, summer camp is a place for kids to learn to swim, sing or speak French. But look closer.

The seven-year-old day campers are engaged in a first lesson of climbing. A troupe of tweens, some too shy to raise a hand in school, bow to applause, having found confidence and their voice in a summer drama production.

The group of 14-year-olds will discuss topical issues, will learn the civilization of French-speaking countries but will also overcome their fear of tumbling torrents in canyoning. At each day’s end, they are reporters describing challenges met in stories and memories that fill personal journals. Teenagers gazing at constellations and shooting stars contemplate the wow and how of the universe and turn philosophical, considering their place in it.

Look closer still and you’ll see children learning through choices made, chores divvied up, friendships forged … learning self-sufficiency, self-confidence and leadership.

You want the best for your kids. If a good education is top of the list, think of school- plus-camp as the winning combination.

Summer Camp Builds Skills for Life

Concrete Skill Development Soft Skill Development
School, work and life skills 
problem solving, self-discipline, perseverance, goal setting and time management and team building		 Gaining confidence and self-esteem
Leadership and personal growth 
learning to inspire and to work as part of a team, achievements at camp build self-esteem and confidence		 Becoming more independent
Igniting future career interests
an actor, an astronaut, an athlete, an astronomer		 Internalizing morals and values
Specialty training
mastering sailing, rafting, swimming, debate transfer back to classroom work		 Gaining better self-awareness
Learning to try new things
Kids discover and explore new sports, crafts and challenges like Climbing in trees or in the Biathlon		 Improving interpersonal and social skills
Learning through success and failure 
There are no grades at camp. Kids are encouraged in a supportive environment to test and master new skills and try again and again if they fail		 Becoming a good community member and good citizen
Physical activity and increased strength
kids are up and active and using their bodies as well as their minds		 Taking responsibility for self and others

Safety at summer camp: Parents’ concerns

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Will you child be taken care of at summer camp?

“The people who are involved in camp – like in schools — they’re trained professionals”

When you are sending your child to any day or residential summer camp, you are entrusting them in the care and supervision of a range of qualified adults, camp staff that have been handpicked and trained in their areas of instruction.

“I was worried about safety and whether my child would be well taken care of. But meeting the camp counsellors inspired confidence in my wife and me that my daughter would be safe there. The people who are involved in camp, like schools—they’re trained professionals. They know what they’re doing. They know how to keep kids challenged and offer them a safe learning experience.”

Camp counsellors tend to be young adults (young enough to relate to campers, old enough to be admired as role models) and long-time campers themselves. Most camps expect counsellors to be certified in BAFA (Brevet d’Aptitude aux fonctions d’animateurs), in first aid, swimming and life-saving, as well as specialty areas such as sailing or canoeing.

Experienced senior staff members, with a range of expertise, support the counsellors—and often know them well at the time they are hired.

Reputable camps place a high priority on staff training, often through their own programs, which include information on the physical and emotional capabilities of children at different ages. You can rest assured that camp staff know what they are doing and place your child’s safety as a priority.