Sleep-Away Camp:
TEXT Gayla Grace
Letting Go Helps Kids Grow
S leep-away camp was just what Ally needed in order
to gain independence and confidence, marveled her
mom, Sharon. “She found a whole new group of
girls and had a ball; she’s had a hard time with girls
beginning in grade 4,” Sharon says, “so it was great for her
to bond with girls in a different setting.” Starting at age 9,
Ally went away to camp for a week. The following summer
she begged for it to be four. Her parents were delighted.

Time away from parents helps kids learn how to make their
own decisions without checking with mom or dad first, and
residential camp provides the perfect training ground, says
Michael Thompson in his book, Homesick and Happy: How
Time Away From Parents Can Help a Child Grow (Random
House; 2012).

If you’d like your kids to develop maturity and gain
independence (and if you’d like to begin learning to let go
yourself!), it’s time to start researching sleep-away camps.

Week- or month-long adventures away from home give
kids opportunities to experience unique adventures they’d
never find at home. Asking other parents what camps their
kids attend can be helpful also; having a friend go with your
child is a beautiful thing for parents leery of separation.

To find a camp that fits your child’s needs, seek out opinions
from friends and neighbors, ask teachers and church
counselors, attend camp fairs and explore options on your
own. Residential camps of all kinds and sizes are located all
across the country, so there’s sure to be one your child can
love and from which he can gain valuable skills.

Camp counselor Jamie Newman expresses enthusiasm
for sending kids to camp. “Camp encourages kids to
28 February 2016 washingtonFAMILY.com
try new things and teaches them confidence through
new experiences. They learn valuable life lessons when
encouraged to work through their fears to try something
even if it doesn’t feel comfortable to them. Also, when kids
are thrown together in a cabin for a week, they’re forced to
learn how to get along with others and often build lasting
relationships that can continue when they return home.”
Need more convincing? Here are a few
thoughts to consider:
1) Camp builds maturity and allows children the chance
to make their own decisions in a safe, caring environment.

Kids benefit from new relationships with camp counselors
who care about them and want to help them with everyday
struggles. 2) Camp forces kids to unplug from technology and enjoy
the beauty and benefits of nature. Through outside activities,
kids find new hobbies without academic pressure or
expectations. Kids gain self-confidence through trying new
things and discovering talents they didn’t know they had.

3) Camp teaches good sportsmanship by encouraging each
child to be fair and kind. Team activities teach kids how to
cooperate with each other and the value of getting along
with others through working together and supporting one
another. 4) Camp fosters new friendships with kids who come from
varying backgrounds — helping kids gain an understanding
of how others live outside their community. In a relaxed
atmosphere, kids easily make friends while they play, sing,
work, eat and bunk together.