When I was a kid, there weren’t what you’d call choices when it came to summer. I could go to camp, or, well…I could go to camp.
‘But don’t worry,’ my mom told me, ‘when you get older, that’s when you’ll have choices.’
Right.
Camp provides time to be in nature and to practice living away from family. And, other than time spent asleep, camp is one of the few extended periods of time when kids will be away from their screens and devices. To better understand why it’s hard to unplug for summer camp, we interviewed Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
Summer is here, and if you’ve decided to send your child to summer camp, you may be experiencing a range of emotions and wondering how best to make this a good experience for your little one. It’s perfectly normal for first-time campers—and their parents—to experience some anxiety as camp gets closer and closer.
I remember my own summer camp experiences with mixed emotions. On the one hand, it was a wonderful opportunity for me to develop independence, self-confidence and a love of the outdoors that has lasted a lifetime. On the other hand, I also remember being homesick and wondering how on earth I would adjust to spending a month in an open-air tent.