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CAMP & SCHOOL GUIDE
Tips for a successful
sleepaway camp
experience JODI WOODNICK | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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B2 JANUARY 6, 2023
s holiday decorations come down all
around us and we settle into frigid
mornings and shorter days, most people
are thinking about getting back to “real”
life. Me? I’m thinking about next sum-
mer and the millions of kids who will be
attending sleepaway camp, many for the
first time.

I think (and talk) about camp all year, to
anyone willing to listen. I am a therapist
who works with kids and families, and I
have a front-row seat to the struggles that
kids face today: too anxious to try some-
thing new, struggling with friendships,
with self-confidence, turning into puddles
in the face of adversity… the list goes on.

But don’t worry, there’s good news. I
am also the director of community care
at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in
California, and I have a front-row seat to
the myriad ways in which sleepaway camp
has the potential to help children fight
against these struggles… if we allow it.

Allowing a sleepaway camp experi-
ence to work for your child will take
some mental and emotional preparation.

It starts with asking, “What do I want
my child to get out of a sleepaway camp
experience?” Most people say, “gain
independence,” “make friends” and
“have fun.” I am going to challenge you
to hope for more. Camp has the potential
to provide vital social and emotional skills
that can benefit your child for life. My
favorites are practicing problem-solving,
flexibility and empathy, learning how to
fail and discovering what matters in a
friendship. All these things, and more,
are possible.

Here are some things you can do to help:
1. Pick the right camp for your child
Does the camp have a clear mission? Do
the camp’s mission and culture align with
your values? (For example, if the camp
is religious, but your child hasn’t had
much exposure to religion, will they feel
comfortable? If the camp’s programming
is heavily sports oriented but your child
doesn’t like competition, will they find
common ground with other campers?
Will your LGBTQ+ child feel accepted
and valued?) Is the camp team responsive
and communicative? Does the camp have
programming to address your child’s
unique needs? These questions and more
are what you should consider as you
search for the perfect camp.

Also, while it can be helpful to talk
to others to gather information, please
do not base your decision on who else
JEWISH NEWS
Jodi Woodnick at camp last summer with her sons
Adrian, left, and Ean.

COURTESY OF THE JODI WOODNICK
is going. If you can find a program that
meets your child’s needs, they will thrive.

Sending your child to a camp that is not
a good fit just because a specific friend
or neighbor is doing the same is a set-up
for failure.

2. Consider your child’s age
For a typical child, starting camp at age
8-10 is ideal but kids can be successful
starting at any age. If you end up start-
ing your child at age 11 or older, just
prepare for a slightly longer adjustment
period than for that of a younger child.

Also, older children tend to be more self-
conscious about feelings associated with
adjusting to camp and may therefore be
less likely to open up to cabin mates or
counselors. 3. If you want your child to go, just sign
them up
When asked, most of us (especially kids)
will reject the unfamiliar. If sending your
child to sleepaway camp is important
to you, it’s ok to simply tell your child
they’re going. Just like you wouldn’t give
them a choice about going on a family
vacation or to a loved one’s celebration,
you do not have to give them a choice
about camp.

4. Communicate openly and honestly
(and early) with the camp about your
child’s behavioral, emotional and/or
academic challenges
Many parents think that because camp is
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CAMP & SCHOOL GUIDE
“fun” extreme behaviors and emotions
that happen at school won’t materialize
at camp. Unfortunately, the opposite
is often true. Camp is a highly struc-
tured environment where every waking
moment has social, emotional and/or
behavioral demands. Many camps have
mental health professionals on staff to
work together with parents, counselors
(and your child’s teachers/therapists, if
necessary) to create and supervise com-
prehensive accommodation plans (see
step 1). The more prepared the camp is
for your child, the better their chances for
success. Withholding vital information
(or sharing it at the very last moment)
only sets your child up for failure.

On a related note, please don’t change
or stop your child’s medications during
camp. Camp, while magical and transfor-
mative, can also be stressful. Dealing with
changes to medications while adjusting to
camp life may add to stress.

5. In the months leading up to
camp, provide opportunities for your
child to practice independence and
self-advocacy Although there is plenty of support,
sleepaway campers need to be able to help
themselves in many ways. They should
be able to shower without assistance,
serve themselves food, be able to identify
their own belongings and put their dirty
clothes in a laundry bag. They will even
be expected to make their bed. Have your
child practice as many of these things as
you can at home before camp. It will sig-
nificantly reduce their stress if they don’t
have to learn all of this for the first time
while also learning the ropes at camp.

More importantly, sleepaway campers
need to be able to advocate for them-
selves. Counselors, while fabulous, are
not mind readers. Give your child oppor-
tunities to use their voice and witness
firsthand the power of self-advocacy. Let
them order for themselves in restaurants,
ask a store clerk for help, ask the teacher
a question or tell a friend what’s bother-
ing them. This practice will help them
to communicate when and if they need
help at camp and parents aren’t there to
speak for them.

6. Get comfortable with discomfort
The first time they go to camp, most
children will experience some nervous-
ness. They may even cry or have trouble
sleeping at first. As difficult as this is,
know that this is the kind of discomfort
that leads to growth. Working through
discomfort now will set your child up for
working through adversity throughout
their life; on the playground, at the choir
performance, their first break up, col-
lege. This might sound hyperbolic, but
it couldn’t be truer.

You can help by normalizing homesick-
ness, and helping your child come up with
a plan for how they will deal with it when
and if it does happen. Who at camp can
they talk to? What are some things they can
do to help themselves fall asleep or calm
themselves down (breathing exercises, etc.)?
As departure day gets closer, and ner-
vousness intensifies, you may feel tempted
to negotiate with your child to get them
on the bus, saying things like, “If you
don’t like it after three days, I’ll come pick
you up.” Please do not do that. There is
nothing worse you can say if you want
your child to fully engage. Now they
know they don’t have to.

Meanwhile, prepare yourself for letters
that may be alarming, that feel desperate.

Don’t panic. If that happens, call the
camp to discuss strategies and options.

The camp is your partner in supporting
your child and their success at camp.

7. Trust the camp
You researched, attended meetings and
spoke to staff. You chose this camp for
a reason. Now let them do what they do
best. When you do things like setting up
secret codes with your child for the camp
photos, sneaking covert cell phones into
their luggage or questioning staff on open-
ing day about bunk requests, you send the
message that the camp can’t be trusted
with your child’s best interest. If you don’t
trust the camp, why should your child?
Yes, sending your child away to some-
one else’s care is a leap of faith and that
is scary for any parent. Your camp does
not take your faith in them for granted.

Partner with them.

8. Trust your child
In the end, your child needs to know that
you genuinely believe that they can do it.

Even if it’s hard, even if it’s scary, they can
do it. The way I see it, scary just means
something great is about to happen. JN
Jodi Woodnick is a child, adolescent and family
therapist with Out of the Woods Counseling in
Scottsdale (outofthewoodsaz.com). Prior to her
current role with WBT Camps, she was the director
of Camp Charles Pearlstein in Prescott (now Camp
Daisy and Harry Stein) from 2002-2012.

https://www.pxu.org/phoenixeducatorpreparatory JEWISHAZ.COM
JEWISH NEWS
JANUARY 6, 2023
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