Is your daughter ready for overnight camp this summer?

Sending your daughter off to overnight camp for the summer can be a difficult decision, but if you went to summer camp yourself as a child, you won’t want her to miss out on this experience.  How do you know if she’s ready to be away from home this long?

Before you start packing her bags, and putting camp clothing labels on all of her summer clothes, consider these guideposts for determining if she’s ready.

If you daughter is at least seven years old, she may be ready for overnight camp if:

• She gets excited about sleeping over at a friend’s house and is okay with being away from home overnight.
• She can take care of her personal hygiene, keep track of her belongings and handle age-appropriate responsibilities. You can help her with this by getting some printed clothing labels.
• She easily communicates with adults, including teachers and family friends.  This includes making her needs known to adults when necessary and follows instructions well without challenging authority.
• She makes friends easily and gets along with girls from a variety of different backgrounds.  Childhood friendships made while away from home often become some of the most meaningful relationships and can last well into adulthood.
• She is willing to try new foods (without complaining) when her favorite foods are unavailable.  Children who are very picky eaters often find it difficult to adjust to summer camp.
• She enjoys being outdoors and participating in group activities.  Camp requires kids to be versatile and willing to try new things.  It is also a great way to find new interests and develop confidence in activities like canoeing, horseback riding and team sports.

If your daughter meets these requirements, then it may be time to let her take this big step towards independence.  One way to get her excited about this new experience is to involve her in the preparation for camp.  This may include buying some personalized camp stationery, getting summer camp name tapes for her belongings, and making sure she has all of her summer camp clothing ready to go.  Sharing your own personal stories of summer camp will help her to get excited about the prospect of being away from home for the first time.