Being away from home and loved ones causes feelings of homesickness in almost everyone. As many as 95 per cent of kids experience mild sadness, and some feel intense, long-lasting distress. Younger kids and those who have never spent time away from home have the most trouble at camp. You may be worried that your attempts to comfort your homesick child will only make the problem worse.
Going to a sleepover camp is a milestone for children. Kids will make friends fast and experience new ideas. They’ll eat foods that they would have never tried at home and develop more self-confidence. Sleepover camps give kids a great opportunity to learn new life skills, too. If your child is anxious about the thought of going away to camp this summer, think, plan, and discuss now so you can enrich your child’s camp experience before it begins.
I grew up in a rural area, camping in the woods of our property and the back yards of neighborhood friends during the summer months. It was a rare night when any of us would sleep inside our homes, much preferring our companionship around campfires and being serenaded to sleep by the music of crickets, frogs, and the occasional owl.
Now is the time for parents to start researching camps for their kids, and there are a lot of summer camps in Calgary to choose from. It’s also the time of year when students have to start thinking about a summer job, and being a camp counselor is a popular choice. Being a camp counselor is a great job - as long as you are not too keen on making a lot of money. Of the vast majority of camp counselors I know, none have ever said they did it for the money. However, being a camp counselor, especially at a residential camp, will give you a wide variety of unique skills and experience.
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