Ways To Help Your Child Beat Homesickness

For any parent sending their child to camp for the first time knows that homesickness is a very real possibility. Even though your child is about to embark on a summer full of fun, friendship and adventure, it’s normal for them to experience a bit of being-away-from-home blues! To help them overcome their homesickness and get the most out of their camp experience, here are some ways to help them shake the sadness!

Practice makes perfect: Having your child spend some nights away from home at a relative or friend’s house is a great way to get them slowly used to being apart from their families. The more your child experiences nights away, the smoother the transition to camp should be.

Explain that homesickness is normal: It’s very common for every camper to miss home sometimes and explaining that to your child may help ease their fears to let them know they are not alone. You can discuss coping strategies with them prior to their departure for camp, such as writing letters home or talking to a counselor.

Express your confidence in them: Praising your child for making the decision to go to camp is helpful in easing their anxiety from being away from home. Express your confidence in their resilience and admiration in going away. You can also go over all of the great things that they will experience when going to camp, like making lots of new friends who will act as a support. They'll be so busy taking part in activities with their friends that they wont even have time to feel sad.

Don’t show your anxiety: Sure, as parents there will always be some concerns when your child is going to be away from your for any amount of time. It’s normal for you to feel apprehensive as well, but make sure not to express your anxiety in front of them. The more confident and comfortable you are, the more your child will feel at ease with their decision to go.

Many children experience homesickness, and our caring staff has been trained to help them deal with homesickness. At Camp Tioga, we create the most nurturing, comforting environment possible, and with all of our unbelievable activities, no child stays homesick for long. Our camp counselors will do everything in their power to make each camper feel at home. To learn more about all that Camp Tioga has to offer, give us a call at 570.756.2660 or visit us on Facebook.