I want to come HOME!!! : ( Mar 21 '01    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line Although most everyone will feel homesick at one time or another, there are several ways you can help your child cope with it. I want to come HOME!!! : ( Going away to camp can be quite a difficult thing for your child. Especially if it will be your child’s first time away from home alone. And although he or she will most likely end up having a great time and be glad that he or she went, feeling homesick to a certain degree while they are away, is most likely something that they are going to experience. As I am sure most parents would agree, we want our child’s experience away to camp to be enjoyable for them. And although all children will experience a small amount of feelings of being homesick, there are many things that you can do to help make those feelings easier for them to deal with. Dealing with Insecurities Although I am sure that your child knows how much you love him/her and how much he/she means to you, your child might develope feelings of being “abandoned” or being “shoved off” (especially if your child is one that you had to give that extra “nudge” to go in the first place). I think it is important to show your child some extra love and attention prior to their departure day. Talk about how much fun they are going to have and how you can’t wait to hear all the details when they get back. Also, be sure to tell them how much you are going to miss them while they are away. (I know sometimes we, as parents, tend to “look forward” to such times when our children are able to go away and do something so that we can have a break ourselves. But, it is important for us to remember that children are VERY perceptive and we don’t want them to sense that we are “happy” to be getting rid of them. Because although that is not what we mean at all when we feel relieved to have a break, they will take it that way.) Pillow I don’t know what it is, but as I am sure you all remember, there is nothing quite like your OWN pillow to sleep on. (I can still remember spending the night at my friend’s house when I was a child and having the hardest time falling asleep at night on “someone else's” pillow. It just wasn‘t the same as my own.) Let your child take his/her pillow along with them. Not only will it make them more comfortable, but also it will give them that warm feeling of being at home during the nights, when being homesick tends to be the worst. Picture Another thing that you can add into your child’s belongings is a family picture. (It may even be nice to sneak it in there without them knowing about it.... that would give them a pleasant surprise to find it in their bag. It may make them feel like their family is near.) *****Depending on the age of the child, this may be something that they keep hidden or keep out, LOL!!! : ) But no matter what age, it will make your child feel good inside. Misc. for Mailing Letters Pack some paper, pens and envelopes ((pre- addressed to your home address) with your child’s things. Tell him or her that they can write to you if they would like. Explain to them to give the envelope to their camp counselor when they are finished and that they will make sure it gets into the mailbox. Add some colored pencils and stickers for your child to dress up his/her letter. This will take their mind of the feelings of missing you because their mind will be on writing and creating something nice for you. A lot of times at camp you have the evenings before bed time free. So, this would the perfect time that your child would find this stuff very comforting. (Even if they never send it off, by writing it they are helping themselves feel better.) Care Package Prepare a care package and have it ready to send off at the post office after your drop your child off to leave for camp. Add such things as: •Cookies or candy •Chips or other snacks •A small toy or gift •A letter from you • (This is all totally up to you..... let your imagination go and think of things that would make YOUR child smile and feel good.) Your child will be thrilled when he receives this package, it will really make him think that you are thinking about him or her. *****If you pack cookies and snacks, make sure you pack enough for all his Camp friends!!! Picking your child up On the day you are supposed to pick your child up, make sure you leave in plenty of time to get there early. Seeing you standing there, as the Bus pulls in will show you child how excited you are to have him/her back home. Then, maybe take them out to lunch or for an ice cream (just the two of you). That way he can share all the many things that he did while away from camp. Having uninterrupted time (away from other siblings) will allow your child to share with you and to let him know how special you think he/she is and how dearly they were missed. Overall With the extra Tender Loving Care, you can ensure that your child will feel loved, secure and OKAY when those feelings of being homesick arise. If you, as the parent, take the extra time to help ease the feelings of “Separation” that he/she will experience, going away to camp can be one the most fun and memorable experience that both you and your child ever have.

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