Articles | Sleepaway Summer Camp: Is Your Child Ready?

Going to a sleepaway camp is one of those life choices that parents, especially those who have been campers themselves, will want to encourage a child to experience. Summer camps are not only great fun and will not only teach your child social interaction skills, they can also shape character in such a way that a child will emerge more ready to take on life in general. However, before sending a child to a sleepaway camp for the first time, there are certain things you will need to do. Two of the most important tasks are determining if he or she is ready to spend part of his vacation apart from the rest of the family, and finding the best camp that will provide him or her with an unforgettable experience and you with peace of mind.

When it comes to knowing when it is the right time for summer camp, experts will tell you that the more pressing issue is how ready you are to send your kid to a sleepaway camp - not how ready he or she is to go. Nevertheless, it is still important for you to gauge if your child can already take care of himself without the help of parents and siblings. If your child has been pestering you with pleas to go to camp, chances are he or she is already confident of independent abilities and feels sure that he or she can take care of himself or herself. If, on the other hand, it is you who is thinking of sending your child to camp, take some time to observe and take note of his or her daily activities. Does your child ask for your help when it comes to doing basic chores? Does he or she have after-school activities wherein you are asked to just drop your child off and not stay? If you answered yes to both questions, your child is definitely prepared to take on camp.

If you are still nervous about the idea of sending your kid to a sleepaway camp because you feel he or she might not be ready, there are two good choices. You can consider sending your child to a day camp for that first summer of camp, or you can try preparing your child by letting him or her go to supervised sleepovers with friends. This way, the thought of spending the night somewhere else away from his or her room will not be intimidating.

Upon determining that your child might be ready for summer camp, the next important step is discussing summer camp with your child as an idea for how he or she might like to spend a summer. Your child can tell you a great deal about the right camp to choose. Finding the right sleepaway camp begins with questions that you and your child can answer together! Among the questions you should ask to be able to zero in on the best camp for your child are the following:

What does he or she want to do at camp? If your child were to imagine being at summer camp, what would the daily activities be? You can even look at camp brochures and websites just to spark a young imagination. When the time comes you will choose a camp with the activities that appeal to him or her the most.

What does he or she need to learn and what skills could he or she improve on? This will help you determine which type of overnight camp to consider sending your child to.

Does he or she have special needs or require special attention? The answers to this question are important to determining if the camps you are considering are properly staffed and equipped to meet your child's needs.

These preliminary steps can lay the groundwork for a successful choice for your child's summer camp. The right fit of camper and camp can provide your child with experiences, benefits and memories that will last a lifetime.