Northern Light Pediatrics-Newsletter

Follow these steps to avoid
homesickness at camp

As children head off to summer camp, parents often equip them with insect repellent, first aid kits, and sunscreen. However, the one camp sickness that parents and campers usually do not prepare for is among the most common homesickness.

Homesickness is a normal feeling that results from being separated from loved ones and familiar surroundings. Nearly 96% of all children in a recent study who spent at least two or more weeks at overnight camp reported some feelings of homesickness, according to the American Camping Association (ACA).

Homesickness is caused by many factors. Children who go to summer camp with little or no previous separation experience are more likely to experience homesickness. Also, a child who feels forced to go to summer camp has a good chance of feeling homesick once he or she is left alone at camp.

The majority of homesickness-related symptoms are mild and not problematic, according to the ACA. These symptoms involve wanting to call home and missing parents.

However, sometimes, they can get more serious. Homesickness becomes a problem when children are constantly withdrawn from others, refusing to eat and having trouble sleeping because they miss home.

While most camp counselors and health aides are trained in dealing with homesick children, there are several steps that parents and their children can take to help prevent homesickness.

The ACA offers these tips to help prevent homesickness before a child leaves for camp:

Involve your child in the process of choosing a camp, and prepare and pack as a family. The more that the child feels like he or she owns the decision to go to camp, the more comfortable he or she will feel at camp.
Encourage your child to spend time away from home during the year. Spending a weekend away from home at a friend's house is a good way to practice for overnight camp.
Pack personal items, such as stuffed animals, that will remind your child of home.
Make sure that your child takes pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes to camp so that correspondence is easier.
Reach an agreement ahead of time about calling each other and stick to it. If the camp has no phone calls policy, it is best to honor it.

These precautions may mean the difference between an exciting and enriching time at camp and a miserable summer camp experience for children.

-Nicole L. Joseph
2004 American Academy of Pediatrics