Strategies for Addressing Homesickness

**This is a continuation of our Counselor Skills Series, where we share some of the specific training we do with our counselors to make sure that your children enjoy the benefit of getting to know exceptional role models while at camp. You can find the other articles in this series here: The First 48 Hours, Confidence, and Discipline.

Homesickness can be a very normal part of the camp experience, especially for first time campers. It can feel unsettling to be thrust into a new environment with unfamiliar people, and it probably should. Chris Thurber has found that 95% of campers experience some homesickness, but only a tiny proportion experience unrelenting homesickness.

Overnight Camp Success: The First 48 Hours

**This is a continuation of our Counselor Skills Series, where we share some of the specific training we do with our counselors to make sure that your children enjoy the benefit of getting to know exceptional role models while at camp. You can find the other articles in this series here: Homesickness, Confidence, and Discipline.

Getting Ready for Summer Camp

One of the ways that we ensure a successful term for each of our campers and counselors is a very purposeful approach to the first 48 hours of each camp term. Beginning at 2pm on Opening Day, the first 48 hours contributes heavily to the trajectory that the rest of the term will follow. If a counselor can help a camper feel at home, connected, and engaged during that “try out period”, it is much easier for that camper to feel comfortable, make friends, and enjoy activities for the rest of camp.