Soon kids will be headed off to summer camp, and it may be the first time they’ve spent more than one night away from home. You don’t want to overschedule your kids, but need them to stay busy and emotionally healthy. Child psychologist Dr. Erin Leonard shares some tips on how to prevent homesickness at camp.
If you are sending your child to an over night camp…home sickness is normal…talking to them about that is important.”
Tips on How to Prevent Homesickness at Camp from Dr. Leonard:
- Phone calls let kids know you’re still there for them. Encourage your child to have fun and make the most of it.
- Have them pick out two transitional objects– just in case one gets lost, and preferably not jewelry or anything that can get lost in the water.
- Encourage your child to talk to a friend about it. Sometimes peer support is the quickest and most important remedy. The other child can help get them involved in an activity that will take their mind off of it.
- Have them compile a playlist of their 5 most fun, upbeat, empowering songs that they can play for themselves when they are down.
- Bring a book of Mandalas that they can color and ask friends to color with them.
- Write them a letter they can open if they do experience homesickness at camp.
- Ask that if they do get homesick, they wait a couple of hours to see if it passes. It usually does.
Dr. Leonard’s latest book Emotional Terrorism: Breaking the Chains of a Toxic Relationship is now available in paperback and ebook. Click to order today! For kids dealing with negative feelings, Erin also wrote How to Talk to Kids About the Movie, Inside Out.