Kidshape – May 2014
The thought of sending your child away from home for the first time is often scary for both kids and parents. That’s normal. Summer camps are a big step, but they are also an important step in childhood development. The correct time comes differently for each family, but giving children a safe environment to develop a sense of self and independence helps to prepare them for the future. Of course there are sometimes challenges that come with going to camp. Activities may not be easy, it can be hard to make new friends and homesickness is very common. These struggles are perhaps the most important part of summer camps. When kids are at camp, Mom and Dad aren’t there for back up. Of course, kids are not completely on their own, but depending on the camp, there is an increased need for self-reliance. Discovering that they can do things on their own can be very empowering for young children. Facing the challenges of a summer camp often gives kids a new confidence that they bring back to everyday life. New experiences are also an important part of camps. There is a lot more to learning than what standard schools have to offer. Summer camps are a great way to give children a well-rounded education. Both interpersonal and physical skills are learned at camp. For first-time campers, the new skills may be as simple as learning to make friends or as complex as learning how to shoot a bow and arrow. No kid comes home without a new experience. Even if they never play the obscure sport that they learned again, knowing that they can try and succeed of their own accord is a powerful lesson. Sometimes youngsters can get stuck in their social roles at school. Pressures from parents and schoolmates profoundly shape who they are. Being surrounded by a completely new social group at summer camp allows for the freedom of self-exploration. In a new group, they can escape from whom they are labeled as, and maybe try out a new social role and personality. Whether they take this home or leave it at the camp, the chance to try something new is invaluable. For more information, go to the following sites: Summer Camp: Great for Kids, Even Better for Parents http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/summercamp/article2.html http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/friend/going_to_camp.html
