julie kendrick for mn parent -- ready for sleepaway camp?

8/12/2019 Julie Kendrick for MN Parent -- Ready for sleepaway camp?

1/5

By Julie Kendrick

When it comes to deciding whether or nota child is ready for a sleepaway camp thissummer, many parents rely on thesuccessful completion of some major lifeevents, including getting through mostnights without wetting the bed, or happilymanaging an overnight sleepover at afriends house.

While those are excellent indicators,there are some additional cues that asavvy parent may want to consider. Wetalked with parents whose kids are camp

veterans, longtime counselors, and childmental health professionals to dig a littledeeper into helping you decide when yourlittle one is ready for a few days or evena whole summer away at camp.

What happens after the parent drives

Sleepawaycamp is yourchild ready?

44 March 2014

Recreational gymnasticsfor all ages and skill levels

Girls and Boys Ages 5 and Up No Gymnastics Experience Necessary

Packages Starting at $90

NEW SUMMERDAY CAMPS

612.798.6386richeldgymnasticsclub.org


2/5

away and the kids get on the bus to campwith their counselors is really different thanwhat you might expect, says longtimeUrban 4-H Camp at Bay Lake counselorNathalie Young. The southwest Minneapolisresident, now a freshman at the ChicagoCollege of Performing Arts, says that she is

very familiar with the phenomenon of thechild who clamps onto the parents leg,sobbing dont make me go! but who perksup as soon as a parents brakelightsdisappear in the driveway.

Drama queens and b rave fronts

We try to get kids distracted, involvedand making friends right away, saysYoung. Well start with name games, helpthem meet new people, and talk abouthow much fun well have when we arriveat camp. While the drama-queen-turned-happy-camper is certainly a category ofcamper with whom most counselors arefamiliar, Young also notes that this typehas its less well-known counterpart.

t h e c a m i u e

2 0 1 4

March 2014 45


3/5

46 March 2014


4/5

Ive also seen kids who put on a braveand cheery face, maybe because theyreally wanted to go to camp right up untilthat moment, or because they dont wantto worry a parent. Theyll be all-smileswith mom or dad, but tears start as soonparents leave. Never fear, says Young,No matter what a kid is going through,

we nd ways to get them focused on funstuff as soon as possible.

Key indicator: go with the owYoung does agree that the dry-bed andsuccessful-sleepover indicators are goodones for determining if youve got acamp-ready child this year, but she alsopoints to another factor. Sleeping over ata friends house does show that a childcan be away from home overnight, but,other than that, camp isnt really much

like a sleepover. She says that a moreimportant factor might be to considerwhether or not your child can readily andeasily participate in large-group activities,and be exible enough to adapt theirdesires to those of the group.

We have strict rules about the camper-counselor ratio, so its not possible for achild to stay alone in the arts and craftsarea, for example, nishing a project, ifits time for the group to go swimming. Ifyou have a child who can do communityactivities and go with the ow, thentheyre more likely to be ready for apositive camp experience, she says.

Mental healthprofessionals perspectiveYoungs advice is reinforced by BethDahline, a social worker and school-basedmental health program supervisor at

Washburn Center for Children in Minne-apolis. Being able to participate in groupactivities is important, she says, andbuilds on that milestone with severalother practical questions that parentscould consider. Can they make decisionsfor themselves, and understand them-selves enough to enroll in activities thatare good ts for them? Can they knowwhen they need to use the restroom andspeak up about it? Are they able to beresponsible with their belongings?Keeping track of both shoes is going to benecessary, she says with a laugh. On amore serious note, she suggests, Parentsshould consider whether their child willknow when they are hurt or when theyneed to shake it off. They also shouldknow to use their voice when its criticallyneeded, and to ask adults for help.

She notes that most parents beginexploring sleepaway camps when childrenare around ages eight through ten, but sheurges that developmental factors are much

more important considerations than age.She also cautions parents to make surethat kids have an accurate understandingof what happens at camp. They mighthave an idealized view of nature, and notrealize that bugs, heat and rain are alsopart of the whole picture, she says.

Talk to the camp directorDahline urges parents to visit camps inadvance, if possible, or at least to have aconversation with the camp director. Youknow your child better than anyone iftheyre a picky eater, cant fall asleepeasily, or wake up with the rst ray of sun.You should directly ask the camp director,How do you handle this situation? andsee if youre satised with their response.Understanding the camps policies towardbullying, for example, is something thatparents will want to explore in advance,especially if their child might be a target.

RESOURCES

Urban 4-H Camp at Bay Lake Open to non 4-H members Grades 48 July 2125 and August 48 $350 z.umn.edu/summercamp Contact: Alneida Madrigal, 612-624-7603

Washburn Center for Children 612.871.1454 washburn.org O ffi ces in Minneapolis, Minnetonka and

Brooklyn Park

March 2014 47


5/5

The buddy system pros and consSome parents seek to ease their childsexperience at sleepaway camp by havingthem attend with a friend. While thatidea can be successful in alleviatingpre-camp anxiety, it can also be prone topitfalls, Dahline says. It really depends

on the personality and exibility of thechild. If you have a very shy kid whowants to go to sleepaway camp with afriend, you should spend some timewondering out loud with them how theymight react if the friend makes a newfriend at camp, or goes to sit withsomeone else. Its a good idea to have thatconversation with both kids, and with thefriends family, too.

Sometimes, Dahline says, hesitantsleepaway campers may have more

success attending camp with a sibling.Especially if they go to school together,the child is already familiar with the ideaof the sibling doing their own thingduring class time, but being available ifsupport is needed.

What parents sayNicole Celichowski, a St. Paul mother ofthree, says that sleeping styles might beone of the biggest factors to consider.Will they get themselves to bed at acivilized time, or will they be a trainwreck the next day? Still, that might be agood learning experience all around, ifyou think the kid can handle it, she says.

Julie Brown Price, of Eden Prairie,found that easing into the sleepawayexperience worked best when herdaughter Hannah was younger. Onecamp held a one-night sleepover in themiddle of the day camp session. The campstaff got the kids excited about this onespecial night, so it was highly antici-pated, she recalls.

St. Paul parent Margaret Jones believesthat even a bit of homesickness can be agood life lesson, too. Both our boys wentaway to camp for two and four-weeksessions when they were young. Theywere certainly lonesome at times, but theywere also very proud of themselves forgetting through it.

48 March 2014

LEGO is a registered trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse these programs. Creative Learning Corporation common s hares are listed on OTCBB under the ticker symbol CLCN. 2013 Bricks 4 Kidz

Great kids deserve a great camp!!"#$ &'( )*(+'", +&'( +&-"./

715-356-5383www.Agawak.com

julie kendrick for mn parent -- ready for sleepaway camp?

Documents