How does the staff handle homesickness?
As previously stated, most homesickness is with the parents, not the campers! When handled properly, camper homesickness often disappears within a few hours at camp. Our policies are to keep enrollment small to allow for overall camper supervision (potential homesickness is then easily spotted and prevented), keeping campers busy (we do not have hours and hours of free time for campers to wander alone and aimlessly!), keeping campers involved (letting them make many of their own decisions about their activities), and close counselor interaction (the staff is THERE for them, not on time off or away in program while campers are in cabins during key times like Rest Hour and at night), and finally by keeping the focus on the “now” rather than on home. Campers that begin to develop homesickness are talked to about all the fun things they will do at camp, what they have already done and accomplished, etc. Long discussions about “mommy and daddy and the family pets” etc. can lead the child to
