Thoughts of summer camp bring to mind days spent swimming and hiking and nights spent roasting marshmallows and telling spooky stories. But in the minds of both young campers or their parents back home, no camping experience would be complete with the ubiquitous letters home from camp, in which kids get to write of all their adventures and, more often than not, request specific items be sent in care packages.
If you're sending your kids off to summer camp this year, make sure you know how to keep in touch.
Saul Rowen has been the owner and Executive Director of Cali-Camp, a summer day camp in Topanga, California, for the past 44 years. Rowen has served terms as President of both the National and Western Associations of Independent Camps, and has gained respect and honor in the camping business through his leadership on industry committees, as well as his participation in lectures, seminar presentations, and television and radio talk shows.
Here he offers solutions for communicating with kids while they're away at camp:
• Ask about e-mail. The Internet has changed the camping experience for many kids. If an overnight camp has a computer lab or hookups for laptops, as many now do, kids can get instant relief from homesickness by writing emails home or even sending IMs to their parents or friends.
• Letters are more traditional. But there are still many camps that are more traditional, and often the only way to communicate with parents is through old-fashioned letter writing. Some camps will actually have a quiet time after lunch and this is when kids get their letter writing done.
• Discuss letter writing. It's a good idea to think about how much time your child will be spending away from you and talk about letter writing. Rowen thinks that asking for a daily letter is excessive, and that around two letters a week is a good number.
• Send a letter on ahead. Rowen also recommends that parents write and mail a letter a day or two before the child leaves for camp. When the kid arrives at camp, the letter is waiting, and will give him or her a little encouragement from home and maybe the confidence needed to make the most of the camping experience.
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