Is Your Child Ready for Sleepaway Camp?

For many of us, one of our fondest childhood memories was going away to camp for a couple of weeks out of the summer. We were able to get a new level of independence. We were able to participate in all sorts of fun activities. And best of all, we were able to make some new friends; some that have lasted long into our adult years.

So, if you happen to have a son or daughter, it is totally understandable why you would want them to go to sleep away camp as well. However, before you start making plans for them, we wanted to provide you with a list of five questions that you should ask yourself; just to make sure that your child is truly ready for such a big experience.

Has your child been away from you for longer than a couple of days before? Although going to camp can provide a lot of advantages, it can prove to be hard for a child who has never spent more than a couple of days at a time away from you; especially if during those times, they didn’t seem adjust well. That’s why the first thing that you should think about is how your child does when they are not in your presence. If they have a difficult time, you might want to do a few more weekend sleepovers with family members or friends before signing them up for sleep away camp.

Does your child like meeting new people? A child being initially shy when they first meet someone is natural. But if after a few minutes, your child still seems to be uncomfortable around new people, they might actually feel a bit traumatized by meeting a whole group of different individuals all at one time. If this is the case, rather than putting them in sleep away camp, first sign them up for day camp. It’s a good way to ease them into the camp experience.

Is your child able to sleep alone in their room most nights? It’s one thing to be around new people for a few hours a day. It’s another thing entirely different for a child to stay somewhere overnight. One way that you can gauge if your child is ready to do that is to pay close attention to how they handle sleeping in their own room. If they can sleep soundly most evenings, this is an indication that they are probably ready for sleep away camp. On the other hand, if they have a hard time falling asleep unless you are in the room with them or unless they can get into your bed, then it’s probably a premature decision to send them to a sleep away camp.

Can your child communicate well with adults and children? If you were to ask Padonia Park Club , a place that hosts kids’ summer camps, about a clear sign that your child is ready for sleepaway camp , one of the things that they might mention is that before your child goes to that kind of camp, they should be able to communicate well with adults and children. You need to feel that if your son or daughter has a need or is in some kind of trouble that they will be able to clearly articulate what is going on with those around them.

Do you and your child have a very open and honest relationship? Speaking of communication, something else that can help you to decide if your child is ready for sleep away camp is if you have an open and honest relationship with them. They also need to feel that while they are away, they can call you at any time for any reason. If you and your child have a strong connection, this can help to give you the confidence that they will do just fine while they are away from you at sleep away camp.

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