I pick my girls up from camp tomorrow! I am so excited to hear their stories, see the array of friendship bracelets that will stay on their wrists for much of this coming school year, and listen to them sing camp songs all along the drive home. They will have the glow that only comes from being outside for many weeks, and they will be well-rested from a routine that includes lots of activity and good sleep in the absence of cell phones and screens.
However, I also know that re-entry is tough! While they are so excited to sleep in their own beds, our house is really quiet compared to a cabin full of their peers. And though a home-cooked meal (or if we’re being honest, anything from Chipotle!) will taste so good, nothing compares to a raucous dining hall filled with song.
Camp sickness is a real thing, and it can be hard on campers and parents alike. The intensity of the camp experience can’t be underestimated. Kids are surrounded by friends from the moment they get up to the second they close their eyes at night, and all the hours in between are filled with activity, independence, and so many opportunities for growth and development. Coming home can be a let-down, and emotions often run high. Campers are excited to be home but deeply miss the routine and rhythm of camp.
Give them some grace and patience – within a few days, they will resemble the child you dropped off only weeks earlier, and hopefully with some of the added benefits that only an overnight summer experience can offer: resilience, confidence, new skills, and lifelong friendships.
Tips on Trips and Camps advisors love to talk about the benefits of summer camp, trips, and amazing academic experiences. We can help you find the right program for your child – our advice is free, and the experiences last forever.
My 14-year old loves creating “countdowns” on her phone: the countdown to spring break, her birthday, the release of the new Taylor Swift album, etc. But the longest countdown by far, the one she begins months and months ahead of time, is her countdown to sleepaway camp. Though the countdown technically starts the day she comes home from camp each summer, it really begins in earnest on New Year’s Day. At that point, there are nearly 200 days until the start of camp, and cold days with little light don’t feel much like a beautiful summer day on the lake. But weekly check-ins with camp friends, mementos from last summer on her bulletin board, and the friendship bracelets that are still on her wrist remind her that camp is never really that far away.
In his latest book “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” Jonathan Haidt explores the rise of anxiety in children and teens. Haidt details many factors contributing to increased anxiety and a decline in youth mental health, and points to two key issues: 1. a lack of unstructured play and appropriate risk-taking, and 2. the rise of technology and widespread use of smart phones. As parents, we know his observations are true. Kids are on their phones too much and missing out on real connections with their peers. As a result, we are raising more anxious, lonely, and depressed kids. Despite these disturbing trends, Haidt is hopeful and prescribes four key solutions we can implement as a community:
HAPPY CAMPING!
