Summer camp is a great memory maker for most kids. But if your child is shy and nervous, this can be a hard experience to get used to. How can you make it better for your anxious little one? Here are 5 easy things you can do to help relieve stress.
Involve Your Child. Everyone feels less anxious about things over which they have control. So let your kids be in control of some aspects of their summer camp experience. Have them help choose a camp, activities, and lodging arrangements. For example, if they seemed interested in co-ed summer camps in New England, explore those options. Overall, gear the search toward their own interests rather than what you feel they should learn. If the camp has a website, explore it together. Ask for more information, maps, and activity lists early on so you both can familiarize yourselves.
Don't Share Your Anxiety. You may feel a similar anxiety or stress about sending your child off to summer camp. But don't share that with your kid as well. Be positive and upbeat about all the experiences. Avoid questions that lead to anxiety, such as, "Are you nervous about the swimming challenge?"
Make Goals. Help your child to focus on the positive instead of the challenges by creating goals for them. Goals should be personalized so they can reach them. And these goals could be in activities — such as learning to dive or ride horses — or you may choose social goals instead — like making one friend or joining a group activity. Achieving small goals will help your kids to take steps toward larger ones.
Practice at Home. If you know of particular elements that cause anxiety, practice those events or skills beforehand. If you and your child are nervous about them being away from home, have sleepovers at a relative or good friend's house first. If it's nervousness about not being able to swim well, sleeping with others in the room, or other aspects of camp, find ways to practice these things at home so they're not new concepts.
Share Concerns with Staff. Do you still have concerns about a specific aspect of your child's experience? Don't keep it a secret from staff. If they know your child has certain worries, they hopefully can help ease the situation. But that only works if they know what your worries are! You may not want to involve your child in this conversation, but be sure to spend some time getting assistance making everything work well for your child.
Put these ideas into practice as soon as you decide to explore the wonderful world of summer camps. You and your entire family will be better off for it, and you can all sleep better at night this summer.
