charter-schools-school-65.html
0217 FEBRUARY
66 / 96
start small before you dive in headfirst to a month long overnight
camp
, consider starting small. you can start by choosing a
camp
within driving distance that offers a few nights at a time. from there, you can do what experienced
camp
mom jill abadie did and try a week- long
camp
for your child. ?we were a little hesitant with a month-long
camp
beginning in the third grade, so we en- rolled them in a weeklong
camp
first. since they han- dled that experience so well, we felt more comfortable with them spending the full month away,? abadie shares. ?e im- portant thing to consider is that every child is different, and you can choose what is best for each child, whether it?s a three day, weeklong, or month-long
camp
. do your research since summer
camp
options are often discovered by word of mouth, riverview
camp
owner susan hooks says to start by asking other parents about their experiences. many parents sending their
children
to overnight
camp
s
have gone to the same
camp
s themselves and are eager to share. once you find a few
camp
s you and your child are interested in, do some re- search and get a feel for them. does it reflect your values or your concept of what a
camp
should be? are you comfortable with the atmosphere and the programs the
camp
has to offer? knowing that other parents have had successes with their own
children
at certain
camp
s can also help ease your mind. meet the owners and directors
camp
s often reflect the values and personalities of their own- ers. try to meet or talk with the owners or directors of the
camp
and get a feel for their interest in your child. hooks rec- ommends attending local
camp
fairs, where you can meet several owners and directors from a variety of
camp
s in one place. many
camp
s also offer ?
camp
parties? where you can get detailed information on the
camp
and ask questions while introducing your
children
to the
camp
staff first hand. some questions to ask include: what does the
camp
do in case of a physical emergency or weather emergency?; how do they han- dle communication (phone calls, emails, packages)?; and what is the
camp
er to staff ratio? are yo u ready to send your kids to
camp
? ask parents about their most treasured summer memories, or ask your
children
what they want to do this summer and most likely, you?ll get the same answer: overnight
camp
. perhaps it?s partially due to the popularity of overnight
camp
s in pop culture, for instance, disney channel?s bunk?d , or perhaps it?s the fact that the one thing
children
look forward to more than anything in the summer is freedom. it?s possible that overnight
camp
s are on your radar for consideration this summer. according to dr. michael thompson, author of homesick and happy, ?some six million
children
in the united states are preparing psychologically to go away to sleepaway
camp
.? additionally, parents take all the necessary steps to make sure their
children
are prepared for
camp
. but, are you, the parent, ready to send your child away this summer? by lauren labbé meher here are some tips to be sure you?re just as ready as they are. 66 brparents.com | february 2017
com-brparents-2017-67.html