How to make sure your child (and you) are ready for summer camp

One of our campers, Frank, first attended camp at 9 years old. He’d never done an overnight camp before, and his mom Jena was understandably nervous.

She lingered in the parking lot at drop-off, waiting to see if he’d change his mind.

“Frank was never shy, but going into this experience had my mom-heart racing,” she wrote to me. “Will he make friends? What if he's scared at night? Will there be food there that he likes? Who will make sure he's not left behind if everyone else knows what to do?”

Frank’s wonderful mom is far from alone in feeling these anxieties. She’s not alone in the surprise and happiness she felt upon picking Frank up after camp, either:

“[He] had matured and grown so much in a week,” she wrote. “He had connected with his counselor and made new friends. He learned new games that he taught us and embraced new responsibilities — like accountability for his room and chores and mealtime cleanup. Frank discovered ways to connect spiritually that mattered to him. He loved camp.”

Hearing her story made my own heart glow with gratitude for her little boy, for her trust in us at WinShape Camps, and for her willingness to share her story. The same thing has happened to my own kids at camp, and I hope every parent gets to see the best version of their child come running back to them at the end of the week.

The conversation with this camper mom made me reflect back on my decision to send my kids off to summer camp for the first time. Although I was excited and anticipating my kids’ adventures away from home for a week, I was anxious, too. It had me asking myself, am I the one who’s not ready yet?

The fact is that many kids are ready for camp long before their parents are emotionally ready to send them. That’s OK! We worry because we love them.

We have first-graders who attend our two-week camp, and they’re often the happiest people on campus. So, if you’re thinking about sending your kids to camp this summer, take some time to intentionally evaluate their readiness (and yours) — and if they seem ready, trust them.

Determining whether your child is ready for camp is, in part, a fairly straightforward matter of making sure they can handle daily things. Are they confident and capable while taking physical care of themselves? Can they get themselves showered, washed and dressed without help? No mama wants to pick up their kids from camp only to realize they haven't brushed their teeth in two weeks. (Knowing kids, however, I am sure it has happened.)

But there’s another component to readiness that’s more complex, like their emotional maturity.

Make sure your child wants to go. Listen to them if they’re saying they aren’t ready. Listen to them if they’re saying they are ready. Many campers certainly come to us a little shy or nervous — especially about giving up their technology.

But, at the end of the day, they are still ready and excited to freely choose a challenge. They’re ready to try new things, so they do. And they realize they can be adventurous, take risks and do difficult things.

They conquer camp. They make new friends. They have experiences that are truly their own and build relationships with trusted mentors. The best you can do is choose a camp where you know they will be safe, loved, encouraged and challenged. The rest is up to them.

If you’re still worried, talk to some friends who’ve gone through this before. Ask them how they made this decision, and what their child’s experience was like. Set aside a little time to talk to your child and gauge their enthusiasm — or worry – as well. Research the camps you’re considering thoroughly, to make sure they have safety protocols and staff training in place that will help you know your child is in good hands.

And once the thinking, praying and consideration is done, let go.

Your child might just be ready. Are you?