The Top Summer Camp Preparation Tips for Your Children

*Collaborative Post

The Road to Having a Splendid Summer Camp Memories

As parents, of course, we want only the best for our children. Seeing them grow to be fine children with many joyful memories to look back on is one of our unuttered lifelong missions. Though we may be unable to prevent them from experiencing unhappy moments in their lives, we can hope that the happy memories are greater in score than the prior.

As such, one of the things that parents can start to help in creating those moments is by offering them the opportunity to experience a short period of their salad days at a summer camp. There, not only are our young ones can have the chance to mingle with other children their age, but they can also learn many lifelong lessons along the way.

Consequently, to truly give them a great moment in their lives, it is important to prepare beforehand. However, do not fret as here are our summer camp preparation tips…

Choose the Right Summer Camp

Before anything else, parents must not eagerly sign their kids to any type of summer camp without including their child’s thoughts. This is a very important aspect that parents must emphasize as the emotions of their children will dwindle if they find the summer camp to not be of interest to them.

As a result, they will find their camp days suffocating and bothersome. Moreover, as there are many summer camp choices that parents can choose from, it is important to find the ones that best suit their interests. You need to talk with your child to know which attracts their attention the most.

Also, always do extensive research to know about the camp’s overall competency. We never wanted to send our children to an untrustworthy place. Hence, parents can ask multiple questions about the camp’s authorization and overall performance to the camp director or people who are involved.

Aside from that, look through any information about the camp’s details from online sources or by asking other parents about the camp’s conduct.

Include Your Children in The Packing Process

Sometimes, when packing our children’s belongings, often we would not include our children as it is faster to do it on our own. However, this practice should stop as children will later have trouble knowing where certain items are stored in their bags.

Hence, it is encouraged to pack things in the presence of our children so that they can see and know where each product is placed. Moreover, parents can also ask them for help during the packing process to simultaneously nurture them to be able to load their stuff without your help. By subtly enforcing this independence towards the children, they will not have a hard time tidying up their stuff at the summer camp later.

On top of that, some camps usually distribute a list of items to bring along, such as toiletries and goggles. Sticking to the list is essential as it can be an item needed to take part in an activity or for their comfort. However, do not forget to bring your children’s necessary stuff as well to aid them during their time at the camp, such as ointment, pocket tissue, and all the extra clothes they’ll need including thermals, swimwear and sports clothing such as a Baseball jersey and shorts. On a related note, do make sure to pay attention to the bag’s weight so that they can carry it without trouble.

Inform Them About the Camp’s Itinerary

It is better to let your children know about the camp’s overall activities and what they will have to do once they are there. This is because it can help the children to have a sense of anticipation and gleefully look forward to the determined date.

Moreover, this is the time when parents can know about their children’s emotions regarding their enrollment. For example, some kids may have felt more uneasy rather than happy. Instead of glossing over their worries, parents must talk about their children’s feelings. As we are not in their shoes and may have trouble understanding their thoughts, the least we could do is to let them voice out their worries.

Gradually, the children will feel safe and supported by their parents. Simultaneously, this can help dissipate a few of their troubles as they can let out their thoughts. After that, parents can tell their children about the jolly moments they will encounter at the camp, such as meeting new friends and going on an amazing new adventure.

Plus, if they are afraid of being homesick, why not take the initiative to buy a polaroid camera and take a photo of you and your children for them to bring to the camp. This can be a unique way for your child to fight back their homesickness. After all, letting your children know that you will be cheerfully awaiting them at the end of the summer camp can be an assurance of your children’s feelings.

Encourage Self-Reliance

During the summer camp, our child is left alone without our supervision. They are solely under the guidance of the camp’s instructors. Therefore, before joining the camp, we must reduce the amount of coddling that we give to our children.

In other words, we can still pamper them, but we have to slowly build their independence. If they are too reliant on our help, they will have difficulty adjusting to the camp. As such, by educating them about the importance of doing manageable things without your interference, they will eventually become accustomed to carrying out those things independently. For example, some of the simple tasks that parents can guide them are cleaning up after their mess, applying sunblock before going out and brushing their teeth before bed.

Conclusion

Understanding the minds of our children may be a hard thing to do as we cannot fully understand their thought processes. However, as a parent, we should try to engage and respect their wishes. We also need to be able to guide them with things that they are unsure of. Hence, we should take the first step of getting to know our child, such as having some enjoyable activities with our children or simply having small talk.

Most importantly, before we sign them up for a summer camp, we should always ask whether they agreed to join or not. If they do not, gently ask them for a reason and persuade them about the joyous moment they will have at the camp. Surely, this can entice them to enrol.

Moreover, to fully ensure they enjoy their moment, follow these suggested summer camp preparation tips.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.