Beating the Summer Camp Blues

Your child has been anticipating for months: two magical weeks of swimming in a pristine lake, toasting marshmallows around a roaring bonfire and making friends to last a lifetime. Then homesickness sets in, fierce as a grizzly on a sugar high.

Fortunately, there's lots that parents and kids can do to minimize this sinking feeling so it doesn't get in the way of that blue-sky, fresh-air camp experience.

Homesickness is Normal

Over 95% of kids experience homesickness at camp, says Dr. Christopher Thurber, co-author of The Summer Camp Handbook: Everything You Need to Find, Choose and Get Ready for Overnight Camp and Skip the Homesickness. Not only has Dr. Thurber spent years researching the topic of homesickness as a clinical psychologist, he's got plenty of first-hand experience, having worked at a summer camp for the past 17 years. While almost all kids feel some homesickness, Thurber says only about 1 in 14 will experience a distressing degree of homesickness and only 1 in 100 kids will have to return home early because of it.

How to Prevent Strong Homesickness

In a way, homesickness is a good sign. It means your child loves her home and family. But to keep it from interfering with her camp adventure, Dr. Thurber recommends the following strategies.

Include your child in the decision making.

"Kids who feel forced to go to camp are more likely to feel homesick," warns Thurber. While kids as young as 7 years old can have a great time at camp, your child is the best judge of when she's ready to go. Once your child shows interest, involve her in choosing the type of camp, location and length of stay.

Talk about homesickness.

While you shouldn't force a child to attend camp, you may be able to convince a reluctant child by discovering what his concerns are. "In all kids, there's some part of them that feels a little nervous about what's going to happen when they get to camp," says Thurber. "Try to figure out why the child is hesitating and then address that." A kid-to-kid chat also works wonders. Find another child who has gone to camp who can also answer some of your child's questions. "Kids are much more persuasive than adults when it comes to relating a kid experience," says Thurber.

Take if from eleven-year-old Annabelle Loudon, whose been going to camp for three years: "You have so much fun at camp that if you think you're going to be homesick, you won't be because you won't have time to think about your mom or dad or your dog."

Arrange for practice time away from home.