Homesickness & How to Get Ahead of It
WORRIED YOUR CAMPER MAY GET HOMESICK?
The American Camp Association reports that nearly 96% of all boys and girls spending time at overnight camps reported some homesickness on at least one day. Homesickness is not just common, it’s nearly universal, and it is also an opportunity for growth. A wonderful home and family deserves to be missed…but new experiences, though sometimes initially uncomfortable, are what pave the way for growth and change. At YMCA Camp Greenville, we strive to provide a safe and controlled environment that allows campers to begin or continue on their adventure of healthy independence, and part of that journey is working through homesickness and homesadness.
THE BARGAIN
The surest way to get a camper primed for homesickness is for you to say you will come get them if they don’t like it at camp or they get too homesick. If your camper has any hesitancy about coming to camp, this “bargain” or promise will make it so that your camper already has a wall up against integrating into the camp environment, rather than understanding that they will be able to do and be their best at camp if they are fully present and expect to remain there all week.
Parents make this “bargain” for a number of reasons. It is often because they are just as concerned about time away from their camper as their camper is about time away from home. Just like our children need to develop a sense of adventurous independence, we as parents sometimes need to be stretched a little, too. If this is true of you, it’s okay, you’re in good company. Instead of making “the bargain” with your camper, give us a call or send us an email. We can help you to develop coping strategies with your camper for combatting potential homesickness and better prepare you both for the transition into camp life, and we can also provide any additional tips you may have to their cabin leader.
THE LETTER
Homesickness is most acutely felt when campers have the least to do, which is of course the exact moment that they might write a letter home! Letter writing may also be encouraged by staff members to help campers to write out what they’re feeling, as this can sometimes help with working through those emotions. Always keep in mind that if you receive a letter at home, that particular moment has long passed; however, you can still respond in a few different ways.
If you do receive a sad letter in the mail, you can write an electronic Letter back to your camper. Letters from home can often help reduce homesickness, especially when focusing on the positive in your messages. Avoid a lot of mentions of missing your camper, things happening at home without them, any bad news, etc. Instead, talk about how proud you are of your camper, how much fun you imagine they are having, and ask which camp activities they’re looking forward to the most.
If you’re still concerned about your camper, you can always give us a call or send us an email. It’s likely that we are already aware that your camper is missing home, but we can also touch base with your camper’s cabin leaders for more information and also pass along any additional coping strategies you provide.
THE GROWTH
Camp Greenville’s overall return rate is high, but the return rate of campers who initially struggled with homesickness is even higher. These are the children who grew tremendously during their time at camp, who committed to something that was a little challenging for them, and who were ultimately richly rewarded with new achievements and concluded their week profoundly proud of themselves. We are proud of them too, and we tell them every year they return. Let us help your child to grow with us at YCG, summer after summer.
If you have any questions before, during, or after your camper’s time at camp, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Communications Team at (864) 823-2043 or camper_services@ymcagreenville.org.
