Pre-Camp Prep by Dr. Tracy Brenner

Guest blog post by Dr. Tracy Brenner, Maine Camp alumna and current camp parent

When I address camp readiness, I typically focus on how parents and campers can prepare emotionally for sleepaway camp. I offer tips, tools and strategies for managing separation, homesickness, and other big feelings that arise before, during and after the summer. But in preparing your child for camp, it’s equally important to help them feel ready to manage all of the daily activities they will perform independently at camp that they may not do on their own at home. While this may feel more like practical and less psychological preparation for your child, it actually provides an emotional boost as well. When children feel competent, they feel less anxious. Thus, going to camp with the confidence that you can tie your own shoes, brush the tangles out of your hair and make your bed will not only make independent and communal living easier, it will make your child feel more in control, competent, and confident for summer success.

So, in order to decrease pre-camp anxiety and aid a smooth adjustment, start building camp readiness skills now. While you may think this feels early, it’s really not. A gradual introduction of new skills will make the approaching summer feel less overwhelming.

Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Generate a list of things that your child does not do independently at home that they will need to do on their own at camp. Many of these tasks fall into the category of hygiene and self care, like washing hair or tying shoes. Add chore-like tasks like making the bed, putting away laundry, and sweeping the floor to the list of skills to learn.

Step 2: Start now! Introduce one new task this week. Spend time being patient and teaching your child the new skill. Once they’ve mastered the task independently, give them two to three weeks to get in the habit of doing it on their own. Then add another task or skill while maintaining your expectation that they continue to do the previous one independently. By the time camp comes around, your child will feel so much more competent, in control, and independent.

Step 3: If and when the pre-camp jitters arise, remind your child of how much they have learned over the past few months and how much they are capable of doing on their own. Remind them that while there are tons of people at camp to help them manage both tasks and feelings, they now can feel pride and confidence in the myriad of things they’ve already learned to do on their own.

By shoring up your child’s sense of competence in daily life skills and expecting them to be independent with those at home before the start of the summer, you are helping ease the transition. There’s an emotional adjustment to being away from home. Building skills in self care, independence and communal living in conjunction with helping your child prepare emotionally for being away from home will go a long way in summer success.