My daughter has a sign in her room that reads “What Happens at Camp Stays at Camp” – it’s been in her room since she found it at a kitschy store in New Hampshire on a camp visiting day when she was 10 years old. She’s 19 now, and the sign hasn’t moved, even when she’s left for summers as a counselor at the same camp and for college last year. It’s a reminder to me that even though I’ve heard so many camp stories over the years and know her camp friends from frequent visits during the school year, it’s a part of her life that I really don’t know much about. And that’s a good thing.
With social media, tracker apps, and cameras recording their every move, it’s easier than ever for a parent to know almost every detail of a child’s life. In an increasingly scary world, it’s comforting to see where a child is and what he or she is doing. But a break from this constant surveillance is good for everyone – parent and child. Some camps provide a daily photo upload or a weekly newsletter, while others only post a few pictures on social media or nothing at all. These photos can give a glimpse of life at camp and comfort a nervous parent. But they only tell part of the story – the real magic of camp happens outside of these moments, when kids are together without phones and other distractions.
The inside jokes, the silly songs, the wacky traditions, the friendships that form at a pace not possible in the outside world – in other words, all the things that could only make sense at camp – belong only to the kids. As parents, we are outsiders to this world, which can be difficult to accept. However, giving a child something they can truly call their own is so important at a time when their lives are so controlled, scheduled, and recorded. Camp and other overnight summer programs can be that one thing that just belongs to your child, and Tips on Trips and Camps can help you find the right one. What happens at camp, stays at camp…and that’s a good thing!
Much has been written about the rise in loneliness among kids, teens, and adults. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called loneliness an epidemic, leading to public health issues such as addiction, violence, depression and anxiety. As we become more connected via social media and technology, we find ourselves increasingly alone. In his book Together: the Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, Murthy describes our world as one that emphasizes the individual, leading to a further breakdown of social connections. In children, the impact is severe, as studies have shown that 40% of kids experience mild to moderate loneliness, and 10% feel severely alone. New York Times writer Kathryn Jezer-Morton recently wrote about the challenges of parenting a lonely child – seeing a child feeling left out or apart from a social group is both painful and worrisome. And as we know, it is difficult as a parent to create a friend group or force a social interaction for a child or teen.
The data is clear – young men and boys are struggling. They lag girls in school, with lower GPAs, graduation rates, and levels of college matriculation. They are also more likely to lack social connections. Later in life, young men report more loneliness, lower rates of participation in the workforce, and saddest of all, higher levels of suicide than women of the same age. On their podcast Lost Boys, hosts Scott Galloway and Anthony Scaramucci delve deep into the causes of the crisis and speak to several thought leaders on what can be done to support young men and boys. Their first guest, Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men, highlights the lack of strong male role models as a key element of the problem.
Secondly, there is a level of comfort in a brother/sister camp that makes for a great benefit. Sometimes one sibling is more hesitant to venture off to camp, while the other is counting down the days. In this situation, it is comforting to know siblings have each other. If there is a bit of typical homesickness in the beginning, the directors can arrange for siblings to see each other. This situation was what my daughter experienced at camp during her second year. Even though she attended camp the previous summer, she was bit homesick at the beginning of her second summer. Luckily, my daughter was able to connect with her younger brother after dinners. This small moment of togetherness helped her quickly overcome her homesickness and instead became immersed in her side of camp. Furthermore, there is a deeper connection and bond that can occur between siblings when at a brother/sister camp. Although each child will inevitably have their own unique experience, they also will bond over shared specialty counselors and evening events. My son and daughter each came home rattling off their favorite meals, comparing favorite counselors, and competing over who swam the most laps for SCOPE, their camp charity event.
