michael thompson Archives

With camp about two months away, you are probably busy preparing, packing and planning ahead for what we know will be the best 7 weeks of our child’s year! By now you have probably read our Parent Guide (maybe even a few times), read one of our favorite books “Homesick & Happy” (and our discussion guide in Campminder) and are gearing up both physically and emotionally for letting him or her “go”. As you cross things off your ‘to-do’ lists, one concern may be lingering. Will my child be homesick and what will they do at camp to help him or her cope?

home·sick ˈhōmˌsik/ adjective: experiencing a longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it.

Many parents (and some campers) worry about homesickness. Homesickness is totally normal. It means that you have a home worth missing! Camp is one of those truly unique experiences that allows children to conquer homesickness is a nurturing, loving, safe environment that will eventually become your child’s home away from home and “second family”. Learning how to overcome homesickness at a young age will help your child more easily deal with these emotions on future school trips, sleepovers, college and beyond. It’s all part of the process of becoming a healthy independent person! And isn’t that what we all want for our kids?

While our camp staff are well trained in helping children cope with homesickness, did you know that there are things YOU can do to prepare your child and set them up for success before they leave for camp?

It’s important to talk with your child honestly about what to expect and not ignore that this is part of being away from home. Here are some things you can say and do, which are well captured in the book “Homesick & Happy” (hint- read it if you haven’t already!).

Be honest about the possibility of homesickness. We agree with Michael Thompson’s suggestion in his book of what you can say, “You will probably be a bit homesick when you go to camp. Most kids do, but they get over it in time if they try hard to deal with it head-on and put some effort into coping. Feeling homesick just means that you have a home worth missing, a place where people love you. It is the most natural thing in the world to feel homesickness. I felt homesick the first time I went away from home. It is part of going to camp.”
Share stories about your own life. Did you go to summer camp or remember a time when you missed home? Is there a sibling in the house who may have been homesick and can openly discuss how they overcame homesickness?
Define 7 weeks. Use a calendar to help them understand what 7 weeks looks like. E.g. 7 weeks is like 7 spring break vacations! 7 weeks is the time between now and your birthday.
Get them involved in getting ready for camp! Ask them to help you fill out your forms, pick out their gear, shop for toiletries, pack, etc.
Trust your parenting partners. Remember that you chose this camp for a reason. No one wants to see your child succeed more than we do!

Ironically, your child will most likely overcome homesickness way faster than you will overcome childsickness! What is childsickness?

child·sick ˈchildˌsik/ adjective: experiencing a longing for one’s child during a period of absence from him or her.

While your child is very busy at camp, trying new things, making new friends and growing up, YOU are at home imagining every detail of their experience and adjusting to life at a distance. Yes- there is a cure for childsickness, but you have to be willing to “let go”. Easier said than done? Try these 5 things to ensure that you also enjoy your summer. Because we know your child will be having a blast!

Leave it to the camp to manage homesickness. When you talk or write with your child, focus on the positive to keep them moving forward in conquering homesickness.
Don’t make any deals. If you let your child think you will take them home if they are unhappy, it can hold them back on having a successful experience.
Practice makes perfect. Your child should practice the skills he will need (and eventually master) at camp -sleepovers, chores, overnight trips.
Enjoy the gift of time. Use letters and slower forms of communication. Stay tuned for a future blog about “letters from camp”.
Take a vacation! You’ve earned it. Parenting is one of the toughest jobs. You are giving your child the greatest gift by sending them to camp. You should celebrate!

We can only say, that once your child returns from camp, they may experience similar feelings of homesickness. Not to worry—this is not technically homesickness. Please see definition below:

camp·sick ˈcampˌsik/ adjective: experiencing a longing for Camp Towanda during a period of absence from it. Can only be cured by seeing camp friends, attending reunions and returning the next summer!

About Camp Towanda:

Camp Towanda is an independent, traditional, co-ed sleep-away camp in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It is privately owned, operated and directed by Mitch and Stephanie Reiter (who are celebrating 25 years as owners and directors). For over 90 years, Camp Towanda has continued to define what camp should really be. Our program offers state-of-the-art facilities, an excellent and professional athletic department, waterfront, extensive arts, drama and adventure programs, and special events. We are highly regarded and respected as an industry leader and are involved in giving back to various organizations throughout the year. Camp Towanda is accredited by the American Camp Association and a member of the Camp-Alert-Network, Wayne County Camp Association, Camp Owners and Directors Association and the Pennsylvania Camp Association.

About Homesick & Happy

Homesick & Happy – How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow by Michael Thompson is a must read for today’s parents. In an age when it’s the rare child who walks to school on his own, the thought of sending your “little ones” off to sleep-away camp can be overwhelming-for you and for them. But parents’ first instinct-to shelter their offspring above all else-is actually depriving kids of the major developmental milestones that occur through letting them go-and watching them come back transformed. In Homesick and Happy, renowned child psychologist Michael Thompson, PhD, shares a strong argument for, and a vital guide to, this brief loosening of ties. A great champion of summer camp, he explains how camp ushers your children into a thrilling world offering an environment that most of us at home cannot: an electronics-free zone, a multigenerational community, meaningful daily rituals like group meals and cabin clean-up, and a place where time simply slows down. In the buggy woods, icy swims, campfire sing-alongs, and daring adventures, children have emotionally significant and character-building experiences; they often grow in ways that surprise even themselves; they make lifelong memories and cherished friends. Thompson shows how children who are away from their parents can be both homesick and happy, scared and successful, anxious and exuberant. When kids go to camp-for a week, a month, or the whole summer-they can experience some of the greatest maturation of their lives, and return more independent, strong, and healthy.Author – Michael Thompson

Last weekend we had our “Group Scoop” orientation, which welcomes new campers to the Camp Towanda family. It is a great opportunity for parents to get comfortable and most importantly for campers to get psyched for their best summer yet!

One question that gets raised every year by new parents is “What do I do if I have a picky eater? I’m worried he or she won’t eat.” We totally get why this issue concerns you. Food is what keeps our kids from running on empty. It fuels their day and can dramatically affect energy levels and moods. As parents, we cater to our kids’ eating quirks, become short-order chefs, manipulate meals and jump through hoops to keep our kids happy and their tanks FULL (we’ve all been there)! But how can we do that at camp when we have one chef to feed over 700 people? Believe it or not, that’s where the “magic of camp” comes in!

Michael Thompson said it best in his book, “Homesick and Happy”:

“Family-style dining teaches patience, respect, cooperation, and skills. A communal table creates both personal flexibility and powerful-shared meanings, just as Thanksgiving and a Seder do. The counselors, who may be twenty or twenty-one, play the traditional roles of parents; the children act as one another’s siblings. The novelty of eating with others at camp expands a child’s awareness of eating itself; learning about one another’s food quirks throws your own fears into perspective. Does a child want to be the only kid in the cabin who doesn’t eat a generally popular item? When children see other kids their age eating stuff they’ve never been willing to try at home, and they know there is no Plan B, they may be willing to try the very thing their mother has been unable to get them to eat for years.”

It’s true! We’ve seen it happen first hand at Camp Towanda Yes, the first few days and maybe even weeks, kids grapple with food choices. Counselors are made aware of eating issues and “food schtick” to help them navigate the process. Our Camp Mom Laura (also known as “Food Mom Laura”) sits with a different group at every meal. She encourages campers to try each of the choices prepared by the kitchen…our staff does too! They put each item on their plate and encourage campers to do the same. There are no “yucks” and “eews” allowed. Our camp moms also walk through the dining hall, checking on campers who may need help making good choices (which is also good to help manage over-eating).

Our salad bar is a great place for ‘picky eaters’ to find something they can enjoy and they are pleasantly surprised to see there is so much more than salad at the salad bar! Reliable back-ups like plain pasta, plain bread, yogurt, fruit, granola, tuna, hard boiled eggs and PB&J are always there! We even see campers getting creative, making egg salad, tuna salad sandwiches, and cheddar cheese pasta.

When parents aren’t around to manage their kids’ quirks, kids grow leaps and bounds, conquer new fears, try new things, get out of their comfort zones and thrive. If your kid is a picky eater, this is why you send your kid to camp!

Still nervous? Here are “Food Mom” Laura’s Tips for preparing your child for camp life:

Teach them how to butter a piece of bread, spread peanut butter or jelly, or butter their own pasta (a counselor will always be there to help, but this may give them confidence and feel in control that they can always have something ‘safe’ to eat)
Schedule a family-style meal 1x a week in your home with a food you know they like (and some foods that they don’t—they don’t need to eat them, but it’s good to keep them on the table).
Parents can encourage children to taste foods on the parents’ plate. Did you know kids need to try the same food at least 3x before they like it? You can also place a small portion of a new food on their plate. Encourage them to taste it. Repeat this in a couple of weeks with the same dish.
For salad lovers out there- take them to a salad bar and have them make their own…they will love this part about camp!
Don’t worry…there are always fruit and pretzels available throughout the day at camp (and did we mention canteen, milk & cookies?).

While we know how much you LOVE being a short-order chef, we think you will welcome your NEW and IMPROVED eater with open arms in August and be surprised to hear all the foods they tried and liked. And if they say “nothing”…well, we’ll never tell their secret about the time they ate sloppy joes at camp!

About Camp Towanda:

To learn more about Camp Towanda, visit our website here.

Tag: michael thompson

Homesick, Childsick, Campsick!

Why kids actually EAT at camp!