How Moms Feel about Their Kids Going to Maine Camps

As we recently celebrated Mother’s Day, we at Maine Camps think about what it’s like to be a mom of Maine campers. We send our “precious cargo” to camp because we know they’re well taken care of and they’ll have invaluable experiences they likely wouldn’t have at home. We share these thoughts about how parents feel when their kids go to camp in Maine …

• When we’re choosing a camp, we are  hopeful  we’ve chosen the right camp for our kids. The goal is to choose the place that our kids will find their “summer home away from home” and want to return summer after summer. Knowing they’re in Maine – a state with incredible natural beauty and a tradition of top-notch summer camps for over 100 years – we feel confident they’re in the right state. Then, having researched through Maine Camp Experience and spoken with camp directors to match our kids’ interests and personality with our family’s philosophies, we think we chose the right camp.
• When we’re sending our kids to Maine Camp their first summer, we are  a little nervous and very excited  for what lies ahead. We feel confident that directors and staff will take good care of our children, and we are hopeful our kids will have fun, make lifelong friends, enjoy new experiences, and grow.
• When we get that first letter home, we are  elated! It’s so exciting to read our kids’ words. To hear about what they’re enjoying, who they’re meeting, what they’re eating, and which activities they like. It’s almost surreal to think that they are creating a life outside our nuclear family and our home; we know it’s a great step toward gaining confidence, independence, and other skills that will build their character and carry them through life. Camp is a wonderful building block and a great investment in their future.
• When we speak to them on a camp call once they’re settled in, we are  delighted  to hear their voices as they tell us stories about what they’re doing and what they’re trying.
• When they first come home, we are  happy  to see them (wow how they’ve grown!) and we are sad that they are sad. We know that they are “campsick” – they are missing their camp friends and life, and they are already counting down the days to when they will return.
• When they’ve been home for a few weeks or months, we are  thankful. We see what they’ve learned and what they cherish about camp. We hear more stories in the weeks and months ahead – trying to strike the right balance of wanting to hear more about camp, but not being too overzealous to pry all the details. 
• When they finish camp as a camper – we want to cry! There’s nothing better than knowing each summer that your child will have fun, be well supervised, live in a beautiful place, spend time in nature, be well fed, be entertained, taught new skills, gain confidence and independence, be taken on great trips, and more! When children graduate out as campers, we feel  nostalgic. Where did the time go?! Laurie, our Maine Campcierge™ is facing this one for the first time this summer with her older daughter. She counts her blessings for the years and experiences her daughter had – the friends she made, the things she learned, and the person she has become.

As they say – when it comes to raising kids, it takes a village. We are so happy , that village includes Maine Camps!! 

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.