Summer Camp Blues
Last week, friends of ours sent their children away to camp for the first time. She filled her Facebook page with tearful posts expressing the pain of sending her “babies” off for a whole week.
I wonder if her kids’ camp has a photo gallery.
The camp website photo gallery is a way for parents to connect with their children without being accused of hovering. But hover, they do…even if it’s just in front of their computer screen. They dissect every facial expression, every smile, every bit of body language to determine if little Johnny or sweet Susie is really having a good time.
If facial expressions aren’t clear enough, parents ask their children to include a thumbs-up in their photos. But if a child forgets the hand-signal, panic can set in and camp directors are sure to receive a frantic phone call from parents. This happens enough for some camps to ban the hand-signal or even discontinue official camp photos in general.
What can you do to protect your children when they are away at camp?
- First, pray
Pray about your camp selection before you send your children. Pray while they are away, too.
- Investigate, then choose
Do your homework. Check references.
- Teach safe boundaries
Make sure your children understand safe physical boundaries to protect themselves.
- Teach them to trust God
One of God’s names is Yahweh Shammah – God is There. Your child is never alone and an intimate relationship with the Lord gives them the assurance that He will never leave them alone (Hebrews 13:5).
- Trust God Yourself
Another of God’s names is El Roi – The God Who Sees Me
Your child may be a thousand miles away, but that’s nothing for the God who created this earth and sees everything that happens.
Your children may be homesick at first, but sleep-away camp gives them an opportunity to grow in their independence. At the same time, they will grow in dependence on their heavenly Father through faith and trust in Him, even if their earthly parents aren’t around. And so will you.
If you’ve sent your children to camp, what has helped you through the process?
