Kids Going to Summer Camp: Planning Tips for Parents
A Parents Guide to Summer Camp Planning
No matter if your child is attending a sleep away camp or a day camp there are several things that you need to have in place before the first day arrives. Make sure that all of the paperwork is completed and filled out. This includes health forms, emergency contacts, and applications. Be sure that all fees are paid for in full prior to the first day of camp. With the paperwork the camp sends you there will be a list of what is needed. This is a good list to follow. Use it as your shopping list. Every camp knows what is needed in order for the campers to have a good experience. Once all of the paperwork and payments are taken care of there are other issues to conquer.
Let the entire staff know if your kid has allergies, if they require a bee sting kit, or if there are hearing, sight, learning disabilities, or other any issues. List these issues on the medical forms and highlight them with yellow highlighter. Call and speak to the director and inform them of any potential issues. Do not assume that this will be remembered. Unlike schools, summer camps are not required to have an IEP in place. Check out WebMD for a complete list of what types of health issues to ask about. Good parenting requires that you ensure your kids needs will be met.
Mark all items that your kids will wear with their full name. This includes all t-shirts, pants, shorts, socks, swimwear, towels, hats, backpacks, etc. You will be amazed at how quickly these items disappear. If you have them labeled, you stand a chance of getting them returned. Sleep away summer camps usually do laundry on a weekly basis for the campers. If your kid will be spending more than a week at summer camp, the only way their items will get back to them is if they have it labeled.
If this is your kids first time attending a sleep away summer camp, then you will need to let them know that they will be staying at camp for an extended time. For first time campers that are not used to being away from home, a week is about the longest stay you should attempt. Talk to your kid about being away from home. This way they will be prepared for the experience.
For day campers, know when the special days are. If swimming is not a daily event, be sure you mark the days that swimming takes place on your calendar. This way you will be sure to pack the bathing suit and towels for them. If there are days where they take field trips, make sure your child has cash with them.
Following these parenting tips will help you make summer camp a great experience for you and your kids.
To read more articles about parenting by this author, click on the links below:
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Published by Lynda Altman
Lynda Altman is a freelance writer, blogger and researcher. Her experience includes published print articles in Family Chronicle Magazine, writing and researching for private clients, and writing online cont... View profile
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- Label all of your kids items including clothes.
- Let staff know about all allergies or health issues.
- Talk to your child if it is their first time at sleep away camp.
1 Comments
Post a CommentI am a mom who is sending my 15 year old daughter to do a summer program at a university. The program is way to expensive, and with long distance charges, it's hard for me to pay for her cell phone bill. So I bought her the Motorola W376 from TracFone. Service is as little as $7 a month for the minimal contact needed to be in touch. They have a feature called the double minutes feature which gives you 120 minutes for under $20 for 3 months. This is great because this is all she needs to keep in contact with me while she is away and there are no long distance fees. Her phone is also very cool. It has a camera, and she comes in built in games. She loves it!