Tips to Avoid Homesickness

Going away to a residential camp, especially for the first time can be stressful and difficult for families and campers that have not been away for extended amounts of time in the past. Psychologist say that even though you are sending your kids to camp so they can have fun and make new friends, children can spin the situation differently. Many times younger children will wonder why you don’t want them home for the week or question if you will be back to pick them up.

Homesickness is often referred to as anxiety before a child gets comfortable to their surroundings. Most cases will occur within the first few days of camp and will slowly fade away.

Here are some tools that might help combat homesickness:

  • Have your kids involved in the decision to attend camp. – Children should not be forced to attend camp; rather they should be asked if they would like to attend.

  • Overnighters w/ friends or family. – If your child is not used to spending the night away from home we suggest a few practice overnight stays with relatives or some of their friends. Make sure not to call or visit during these overnights as you won’t be able to during camp.

  • Pack together and pack familiar. – We suggest packing their luggage together so the campers know what they have in their bags. This helps them have a sense of security. We also suggest packing clothes that are familiar to the campers & clothes that they like to wear. (Please do not pack anything you would not want to get dirty)

  • Talk about camp, before camp. – It is recommended that you talk to your camper about all the new adventures they will have at camp and how excited you are for them to experience camp. Talk to them about the different activities at camp and also the new friends that they’re going to make.

  • Send an encouraging letter. – You can send an encouraging letter to your camper from the Letter to my Camper Section. We suggest not telling your camper how much you miss them or what you will be doing while they are gone. Stick to words of encouragement and excitement for them.

  • Avoid Bad News. – Avoid telling your campers any bad news leading up to their week at camp. Kids tend to dwell and focus on the bad news if they are away from home.

  • Excited Good Bye! – Try not to make a big deal about how much you are going to miss your camper at the time of departure. Tell them how much you love them, how much fun they will have, how excited you are for them and that you will be here a week from today to pick them up!

Following these tips will not guarantee that your camper won’t get homesick but it will drastically reduce the possibilities.