Communicating with Children During Summer Camp

Sending children away for 15 days to a summer camp is an unparalleled experience in which boys and girls live unique adventures that will help them grow and develop as individuals. But on occasion it becomes a tough ordeal for the parents more than for the children, who find it almost impossible to bridge the gap of being separated from their little ones for so many days.

Communicating with Children

Communication with children, which is obviously necessary during the course of the camp, can often become a double-edged sword, frequently made worse by simple communication problems. What the best way is to keep parents close to their children’s daily life at summer camp without negatively affecting its progress is a secret formula we don’t know, but we can offer some guidelines that will certainly help.

To begin with, even before camp starts, children should be made aware that they are embarking on a 15-day adventure in which their parents will not play an active part. In a great many cases it is the first time that both adults and children have been apart for so long, but this needn’t be negative in any way. Children should approach camp as an adventure in which they will live unique experiences and in many cases discover themselves — and this is simply one more challenge to feel proud of when the time comes for the reunion at the end of camp. Parents should approach it the same way, leading by example and sharing in that experience and joy from the sidelines.

Sharing Experiences with Their Parents

Of course, communicating during camp is also part of this adventure, as a basis for sharing moments, experiences, and joys. And parents should keep this in mind. Phone calls from their children, which happen roughly every 3 or 4 days, should be a moment of togetherness and happiness. Parents should not make the mistake of letting their children see how much they miss them. In fact, they should reinforce the good things about camp and everything that is being discovered and experienced.

Calls Home

For children, these calls are usually an eagerly awaited and happy moment, but sometimes — especially the youngest ones — they go through a natural moment of vulnerability when they hear their parents’ voices on the other end of the phone. Knowing how hard this can be for parents, it is advisable that they do not worry excessively and that they rely on the support of the camp monitors, who are always available to talk and explain how their children are getting on during camp.

Helping the Youngest Settle In: Teamwork

It is equally important that parents try not to suggest they will come and take their child out of camp, because in those moments of vulnerability the little ones will cling to that lifeline without thinking about the real consequences of such a decision. Communication with the camp leaders comes into play again here — they know first-hand what is happening. A coordinator will never want to keep a child at camp who is genuinely having a very difficult time due to difficulty settling in, poor social dynamics, or excessive homesickness.

Information from the Monitors

We are the first to want children to get the most out of this experience; so when we reassure parents by letting them see that their child is genuinely doing well at camp and is simply going through a normal phase for their age of missing their family, parents should feel confident and at ease. And we will always be available to continue communicating with them in the days ahead.

Visiting Children During Camp

And then comes the big question: can we go and visit our child at camp? Our view, based above all on our extensive experience, is that parental visits during camp tend to have a more negative than positive effect. The feelings of surprise and joy at the start usually give way to greater difficulty when the time comes to say goodbye. Breaking away from the routine of activities tends to be counterproductive for the child themselves, and that is without considering the sense of unfairness and helplessness felt by the other campers.

Camp Diary

In addition, we make a camp diary available to parents on social media, where they can follow the progress of activities accompanied by photographs almost every day. Without by any means replacing the distance that exists between children and parents during summer camps, it does provide a small sense of closeness and allows adults to see that the day-to-day life of camp is going well.