{"id":794,"date":"2022-02-08T14:24:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T14:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/?p=794"},"modified":"2022-02-17T19:10:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T19:10:28","slug":"9-ways-to-help-an-anxious-child-prepare-for-summer-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/9-ways-to-help-an-anxious-child-prepare-for-summer-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Help an Anxious Child Prepare for Summer Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Prepare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes time to prepare for summer camp, it\u2019s perfectly normal for your child to feel some, or a great deal, of anxiety. As with any new adventure, spending a few nights or a few weeks away from home can be a lot for a child to handle – especially if it\u2019s their first time experiencing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to help your anxious child prepare for summer camp. And we\u2019ve compiled them all right here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help Your Anxious Child Get Excited for Camp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Involve them in the process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While you may already have a specific camp in mind, consider allowing your child to pick the camp that most appeals to them. Or, involve them in the process of selecting what kind of camp they\u2019d like to go to i.e. art camp, music camp, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Visit the camp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If able to, consider visiting your selected camp prior to move-in day. One reason children get anxious before camp is because they don\u2019t know what to expect. Visiting the camp ahead of time will allow them to be more familiar with their surroundings when it eventually comes time for move-in day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Go shopping with them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After receiving your packing list for camp, take your child shopping with you for everything they need. This can often can be a fun part of the process. Let your child select a few things for themselves, too, to increase their excitement for summer camp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Start with sleepovers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your child isn\u2019t used to spending the night away from home, throwing them into a week-long overnight camp may not be the best idea. To best prepare for summer camp, consider starting with sleepovers months before camp begins to get them acclimated to even the tiniest bit of separation from you and from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Discuss how they’re feeling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you prepare for summer camp, be sure to check in with your child and ask how they\u2019re feeling. Ask questions about what they\u2019re most excited about or most looking forward to. Avoid asking questions with a negative connotation like \u201cWhat are you most afraid of?\u201d etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Stay positive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your child can sense anxiety or nervousness of your own. No matter how worried you may be, it\u2019s best to stay positive throughout the process as you prepare for summer camp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Share your own experiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you been to summer camp? Share your own experiences! It will comfort your child knowing that summer camp is something you\u2019ve experienced, too. Tell them stories about activities you participated in, friends that you made, and why they\u2019ll have a great time, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Encourage communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before sending your child off to summer camp, be sure to give them envelopes and paper (or postcards), stamps, and a pen so they can easily write to you while away. If you think your child will get more homesick, consider packing their favorite stuffed animal, a family photo, or something to remind them of home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Keep goodbyes short<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The longer it takes to say goodbye, the less your child will actually want to leave you. It\u2019s best to keep your goodbyes brief while still allowing your child enough time to be comfortable in their new environment. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes time to prepare for summer camp, it\u2019s perfectly normal for your child to feel some, or a great deal, of anxiety. As with any new adventure, spending a few nights or a few weeks away from home can be a lot for a child to handle – especially if it\u2019s their first…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[68,69,71],"class_list":["post-794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","tag-tips","tag-summer-camp-tips","tag-move-in-day"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/AdobeStock_267620917-scaled.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=794"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":810,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794\/revisions\/810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipcamps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}