A summer at Greystone should be one of the best experiences in your daughter’s life. By keeping a few things in mind before the summer, you can help assure that your daughter has an easy transition into camp.
- Before camp begins, don’t dwell on the “I’ll miss you” thoughts. Instead, let her know how excited you are about the fun that she is going to have at Greystone. This will get her excited about camp instead of thinking about how much she is going to miss you while she’s gone.
- Do not make a deal with your child about camp. One of the worst things that you can do is tell her, “If you don’t like it, you can come home.” This will cause your daughter to evaluate every minute of the day to decide whether she likes it or not. The weight of this “decision” ultimately can overwhelm even a strong camper and keep her from enjoying camp.
- If your child is anxious about coming, reassure her that having a good time at camp doesn’t mean that she loves you any less. Some campers feel that having a good time means that they are not missing home enough. Make sure that she knows that you want her to be at camp and have a great time.
- On Opening Day, make your goodbye short. Dragging it out will cause your daughter to dwell on the sadness of you leaving, instead of on the fun she has ready for her at camp.
- Send your daughter a letter a few days before she is to arrive at camp. She can then get mail on the first day of camp, which will make her feel special. The more you write to your daughter, the less homesick she will be. There is nothing worse than being the only camper who did not get mail all week.
- If your daughter has a birthday while she is at camp, make plans to celebrate either before or after camp at home. We will have a celebration for her here, but she may feel like she is missing out by not having a birthday at home.
- Our cabins have showers, not bath tubs. Thus, if your daughter is used to taking baths at home, let her take a few showers so she is prepared for that when she comes to camp.
- We would love for you and your daughter to visit camp before it begins. Just seeing the camp and all of the facilities will help her to feel like she knows Greystone better. Just call us and we can set up a good time to come.
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