Picture it: your kids are swimming, doing arts and crafts, playing sports, flying down zip lines. They’re learning skills, trying new things, gaining independence, making friends and meeting people from backgrounds that are different from theirs. As tweens, they become counselors-in-training, developing leadership skills. As teens, they become camp counselors, helping other kids grow, gain new skills and try new things.
Camp is where kids learn to make—and celebrate—mistakes, where they learn to keep trying to succeed, where they gain social-emotional competencies that are essential for learning in school. In fact, research has shown that having these kinds of experiences results in increased academic success, according to Tom Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Camp Association.
There’s no doubt that sleepaway camp has numerous benefits for kids—ones you can and can’t see. But is your child ready to attend? And, for that matter, are you ready to send them?
Gauging Your Kid’s Readiness
While there is no hard-and-fast rule for the age at which children could start attending sleepaway camp, “I think almost every child who has completed second grade is ready,” says Susie Baskin, who, along with her husband Steve, owns Camp Champions, a sleepaway camp in Marble Falls, which welcomes about a quarter of their campers from Dallas-Fort Worth each summer.
But remember, camp readiness varies by child, so if your kid isn’t ready to attend after second grade, that’s perfectly okay. If your child is ready at a younger age, some overnight camps will accept kids who have finished kindergarten and first grade on a case-by-case basis.
What are a few surefire ways to gauge if your child is ready for sleepaway camp?
Your child has successful sleepovers. Whether it’s at a friend or a family member’s house, “having successful sleepovers is the number one predictor of success at camp,” Baskin says. That means they don’t call you to pick them up (unless, of course, they’re sick).
They can reasonably keep track of their belongings. “I’m not saying that every child should know where everything is all the time, but they should have a general idea of what they brought to camp and where they put it,” Baskin says. After all, you won’t be there to pick up after them.
Your kid knows how to ask for help. Rosenberg says it’s important that your child is able to advocate for themselves.
They have a general know-how of hygiene. Can they brush their teeth, wash and brush their hair, etc.? Camps expect kids to have a developmentally appropriate level of self-care, Baskin says.
Your child can reasonably clean up after themselves, including making the bed and clearing their dishes after meals.
They show an interest. Maybe their friend or cousin goes to sleepaway camp. Perhaps an older neighborhood kid has talked about it. If your child mentions camp to you, it may be time to choose one.
RELATED: How Summer Camp Benefits Your Kid
But are you ready?
Your child checks all the boxes and you know they’re ready to attend sleepaway camp. But if it’s your first time, you may be hesitant. Baskin says her experience with camp growing up was watching The Parent Trap, but she was fully exposed to the lifestyle when she met her “summer camp fanatic” husband. “Were it not for Steve, I would have been one of those nervous mamas who would have pushed back,” she says.
Rachael Hackler, a licensed professional counselor, owner and lead therapist at TrueSelf Counseling and Coaching in Fort Worth, is in a similar situation. Her husband grew up going to camp and she did not. Now they’re having discussions about whether it’s time to send their 7-year-old twins to camp.
If you’re in the same boat, here’s what to consider to gauge your readiness:
Do you have separation anxiety or are you fearful of being “kid-sick”? “Kid-sickness” is when parents are worried or feel lonely because their kids have left. “I think it’s natural to have a little bit of anxiety about your kiddos going off to some type of overnight camp,” Hackler says. But, as Baskin advises, you have to look at the long-term benefits of camp and not the short-term discomfort of sending your child away. If you need help managing this anxiety, it’s a good idea to seek help from a therapist.
Look inward. Ask yourself: what are my fears? What is worrying me? Are these some serious concerns? Is it a reality that these things could happen? “I think a lot of times our anxiety and our thoughts come from things that we’ve experienced in our childhood,” Hackler says. It’s okay to have these feelings, but the most important thing is to not let your anxieties spill over to your child as you’re working through them.
Start small. If you’re not quite ready for sleepaway camp, consider day camp. Your child will get to experience camp, and it will help you work up to feeling more comfortable about sleepaway camp, Hackler suggests. Another idea? Rosenberg suggests attending a family camp, so you and your child can experience sleepaway camp together, preparing you both for the separation of next summer.
Talk to your friends. Talk to people you know and trust that have sent their kids to camp to get their perspective, Rosenberg advises.
Ask questions. “A really quality camp wants to be your long-term partner,” Baskin says, so don’t be afraid to call the director to address some of your concerns. Ask whether the camp is accredited by the ACA, meaning the camp is fully invested in understanding and implementing policies that reflect industry-recognized standards around health, safety and risk management, Rosenberg advises.
Ask about staff training procedures, how kids’ physical and mental health is cared for, how bullies are handled, how food allergies are addressed (ask if there’s a parent you can talk to about their experience). How does the camp handle homesickness? What are policies in communicating with your child and camp staff? And make sure to ask about things you’re worried or anxious about. Getting answers to these questions will help remove some of the fear of the unknown.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to send your child to camp, make fun plans for yourself for the first week your child is away. Whether you take a weekend trip with your partner or plan fun social events during the week, Rosenberg says the last thing you should do is stay home and fret about your child. After all, your kid is having a blast at summer camp, so you should too.
Ready to plan your kid’s summer? Search our camps directory here.
A Must-Read for Anxious Camp Parents
Looking for a great resource to help cope with the anxiety of sending your child to summer camp? Susie Baskin, who owns Camp Champions with her husband, suggests reading Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow by Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
In it, Dr. Thompson, renowned child psychologist, shares the strong argument for loosening your ties to your children for the brief period of time that is summer camp. He shows that kids can be both homesick and happy, scared and successful, anxious and exuberant.
“We give every single new camp family a copy of this book,” Baskin says. “And so many of them said that reading it before camp and then also during camp has helped them to understand the value of the camp experience, to take the little speed bumps in stride and realize that what you really want is to create strong and independent kids.”
This article was originally published in February 2023.
Top image: iStock
