Homesickness
What if my child gets homesick while at camp?
- Campers often miss home, especially at the beginning of the week. Our counselors and area directors are equipped to creatively handle campers who are missing home. We will work to help the camper make friends, stay busy, and enjoy camp even while they still miss parents, pets, and their own beds.
- We carefully monitor a child's behavior and will call home if a child is not engaged in camp by Tuesday. By then, usually the camper is happy to be at camp, even if he or she still has some "missing home moods" at various times of the day. If that is not the case, we'll be in touch with parents to decide how best to handle the situation. We will work with you to encourage growth and teach coping skills. It is very rare to send a camper home due to homesickness, but this can certainly happen if deemed necessary. We are here to empower campers to have a successful camp experience and we find most are able to do so within a very short time.
- The best way to avoid homesickness is to prepare your camper well for the week of camp. Make sure all your comments are positive and encouraging. Do not say that you will come pick up the child if homesickness strikes. This really sets a child to fail. Instead, tell the child you are confident he/she will have a great time! Find out specific fears and make a plan to address them. Talk with a Program Director if you have specific questions or concerns.
- Please follow one of the following links to lots of helpful information from our program directors concerning homesickness and what you can do to be proactive in creating a successful camp environment for your child:
- If you would like more information about our staff, the importance of a Christian camp, or other information from our Program Directors and Registration staff, please click here to view a list of podcasts available.