Ask The Admin

Dear Admin,

How do I know if my child is ready for overnight camp?

From, Questioning Camp Parent

Dear Questioning,

Ah, the age old question! If only there was a simple answer to this. Unfortunately, there isn’t a litmus test that will tell you the exact right moment. However, I am happy to give you a few clues that will help you figure out, as well as a few tips to proactively help your child be ready for camp. 

1. The younger your child is, the harder to tell (this may be obvious). If they are older, it tends to default to being ready. Even if a 10 year old spends a night or two feeling homesick, getting through this is a valuable skill that will help them throughout their life (we’ll talk about this more when we talk about homesickness). So assuming your child is 8 to 9 and older, without any clinical diagnoses of separation anxiety or similar, they are probably ready (if your child has a diagnosis or classification, talk to a camp’s director; many camps have systems in place and are prepared to work with this). Have they spent the night/weekend at a friend’s or grandparent’s house? Great start! 

2. With younger children, look for signs of independence and coping skills. How do they do when a parent isn’t around? Does your child know how to ask for help if they need it–with both tangible and intangible needs, like emotional struggles. 

3. Trust your instincts (…to an extent). You know your child best. If you think they are ready to go to camp, they probably are! The reason I put a qualifier on that statement is because the number of times I hear “I could never handle that” is really unfortunate. Make sure you are thinking of your child’s capabilities and best interests, not your own. 

4. Find a great camp, and ask them lots of questions! It doesn’t have to be us. We have a lot of experience, and are happy to talk to you about your particular child, and whether they are ready for camp. Regardless, find a camp you trust, and ask the experts what they think! This is a complicated question, but a really important one. Here’s what I’ll close with: most kids are ready. And if they aren’t, overnight camp is probably even more important for them as they get older, so they develop the independence and confidence to be ready for other challenges. 

Tali 
Assistant Director, Falcon Camp

PS Do you have a question? Let me know at asktheadmin@falconcamp.com!