So Your Camper is Homesick

As you might expect, girls miss home when they are at camp (of course they do; you probably will too!), and as we tell our parents, it is a normal part of growing up and leaving home for the first time. Want to know a secret, though? Usually, when girls say that they are homesick, they aren’t actually homesick at all (who knew?!). Typically, they are experiencing one of the following problems:

Physical Concern

She may be hungry (because she was nervous in the Dining Hall), tired, or has a fever. When she feels uncomfortable, it is usually because her parents normally take care of her. Your role is to address the underlying problem: does she need a drink of water? Did she hurt herself? Does she need to visit the Health Hut?

Social reason

She may not feel as if she has made friends, or maybe she has had an argument with another camper. You can make an extra effort to include her in activities, keep her involved in classes, and introduce her to new friends.

Anxiety

She doesn’t know where her activities are and feels lost and unsure of herself. Take some to time to show her around, ask questions, and reassure her.

She feels like if she doesn’t like it, she can go home

Often, parents tell their daughter this and it makes the child feel like she must choose between camp and home. Since she genuinely misses home, she may continue to be homesick unless the possibility of her coming home is removed. You can bring this camper to your Group Leader if she insists that she needs to go home.

She feels left out at home

If her family is expecting a new baby, taking a vacation, entertaining special guests, etc., she may feel that she would rather be at home. The best thing in this situation is to remind her of the fun that she will have at camp. Remind her that she can be writing Mom and Dad, and reassure her that her parents really want her to be at camp.

How to Help:

• Get her busy and focused on something exciting coming up! Comfort her, but also change the subject to more positive things and get her talking about why she likes camp. Make sure she’s involved in cabin activities and that she knows she can come to you with any problems, and that you’re on her team!
• Be sure you’re using CAMP: Connect, Appreciate, Model, Pray.
• Get her a copy of the camp map. You can find one of these on the Hostess Cabin porch, and it will help her to figure out where things are located.
• Help her connect with a friend. Oftentimes, it just takes one good friend to help a girl feel more at home here. Help her arrange a tetherball date or to find something in common with her bunkmate.
• Don’t be afraid to get your Group Leader involved. They are here to help you and can be a great resource in comforting a homesick camper.