That’s right . . . there’s great news about homesickness! For starters, you should know that homesickness (or “missing home”) is normal. In study after study, researchers found that 95 percent of boys and girls who were spending at least two weeks at overnight camp felt some degree of homesickness. Children at day camp may also feel pangs of homesickness, but less frequently.

Homesickness is typically mild. Nearly everyone misses something about home when they’re away. Some campers most miss their parents; others most miss home cooking, a sibling, or the family pet. Whatever they miss, the vast majority of children have a great time at camp and are not bothered by mild homesickness.

Homesickness is something everyone can learn to cope with. In fact, research has uncovered multiple strategies that work for kids. Most kids use more than one strategy to help them deal with homesickness.

Homesickness builds confidence. Overcoming a bout of homesickness and enjoying time away from home nurtures children’s independence and prepares them for the future. The fact that second-year campers are usually less homesick than first-year campers is evidence of this powerful growth.

Homesickness has a silver lining. If there’s something about home children miss, that means there’s something about home they love—and that’s a wonderful thing. Sometimes just knowing that what they feel is a reflection of love makes campers feel much better.

So if nearly everyone feels some homesickness, what can be done to prevent a really strong case of homesickness? Here’s a recipe for positive camp preparation:

•    Make camp decisions together.
•    Arrange lots of practice time away from home.
•    Share your optimism, not your anxiety.
•    Never ever make a pick-up deal.

Mom and Dad, your help preparing your child for this amazing growth experience will pay huge dividends. After a session of camp, you’ll see an increase in your child’s confidence, social skills and leadership, and while your child is at camp, you can enjoy a well-deserved break from full-time parenthood. Remember: Homesickness is part of normal development. Our job should be to coach children through the experience, not to avoid the topic altogether.
Please visit the American Camp Association’s family-dedicated Website: www.CampParents.org to learn more about camp and child development.

Originally printed in CAMP Magazine, reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2006 American Camping Association, Inc.