I am a fan of a summer camp experience for children.
This is not surprising because research shows that 90 per cent of people who went to a residential camp also send their children. Being that my husband and I were childhood campers and counsellors, you can bet our kids attended.
I would add that camping helps children to move along the road to being capable adults. In my book, But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home, I write; "summer camp. .. is a golden opportunity for our children to develop independence. Camp is great because it's designed to meet the developmental needs of your children, with challenges and opportunities appropriate to their age."
The trick is to choose the right camp for your child. Then you need to trust the camp staff and your child. So what are the considerations when selecting the right camp? Is he ready to be away from home? Has he spent some nights with friends or relatives and how did he handle that? Now remember this is about whether he's ready, not whether you're ready.
It can be hard to let our kids head off into the unknown without us along to look after them. But, as soon as they're ready, it's the best gift we can give them. They learn they can handle things on their own and we learn they can survive without us for a short while.
Another issue is finding a camp that you know is safe, with qualified staff and quality programming. The BC Camping Association offers an accreditation process for all camps that have been running for at least one year.
Knowing that the camp you've chosen is accredited is a great way to know that it has met the basic standards in terms of training, programming and safety. The BC Camping Association website (bccamping.org) lists all the accredited camps. The website also explains the accreditation process.
Once you have chosen a camp, be sure to attend the parent information night. Talk to the staff. Ask about the camp philosophy. Ask them to walk you through a typical day. Good camp people love to talk to parents and you can get a sense of the camp by asking questions.
Trust your instincts. Does this sound right for your child? If they don't want to talk to you or hedge, then find another camp.
It's also a good idea to talk to parents whose children have attended the camp. When you tell your friends and colleagues that you are considering sending your child to camp you will get lots of advice and recommendations.
The most consistent complaint from parents about camp is religious content in the program. If you're looking for a religious orientation that's fine, but when it's a surprise parents find that sometimes the kids come home from camp talking about being "born again" or about daily Bible study. If you don't want this for your child, ask the staff. Listen to the description of the day's activities and choose accordingly.
In recent years, some camps have installed video cameras to enable parents to keep an eye on their kids. It may sound great, but I'd avoid such a camp. For kids, the whole point of going to camp is to have a chance to succeed away from their folks. If they know their parents are checking them out online every day, they may as well be at home.
Choose the right camp.
Do your homework. Then let your child go.
Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author. She will be leading a free workshop about child discipline courtesy of Tom Thumb Parent Participation Preschool on May 13, 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Philip's church, 3737 W. 27th Ave., Vancouver. RSVP to [email protected]. Sign up for Kathy's newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.
