Malia Obama loved it: helping your teenager decide about camp
(Read article summary)Malia Obama loved it: helping your teenager decide about sleepaway camp can be a tough decision. Our teen experts advise an open, honest and measure approach to talking about this fun American tradition.
Talk to a group of teens and they will tell you that they can't wait until the summer so that they can return to the sleepaway camp that they've been going to for years. They just can't wait to spend several weeks living together in a cabin often on bunk beds with others that they have come to regard as part of their extended family. And, many of these teens grow up and become too old to be campers and go on to become counselors at these same camps.
Many, also, keep their camp friends for years and include them among their closest friends.
For many teens, there is something so special about being away from home, feeling independent,and creating and sharing special moments with their peers. I recently spoke to my own daughter about why she loved sleepaway camp and she said that the girls in her bunk really gelled and formed incredible bonds. Oh yes. She did say that it was nice to get away from parents for the summer.
Keep in mind that sleepaway camp is not for everyone. I didn't like it. My daughter started going at age 11 and loved it.
Parents often ask how they will know if their child is ready for a camp away from home. Here are some general guidelines.
1. If your child is starting to talk about it then she may be ready.
2. A child who does well away from home may also be showing signs of readiness. A child who is uncomfortable with sleepovers is certainly not a candidate for four weeks at a camp away from home.
