Saying goodbye to your child at camp is a precious and personal moment. Many parents suddenly feel very sad when this moment arrives. This is normal! When saying goodbye, it is important to focus on how to best transition your camper to their first moments without you at camp. Here are some suggestions:
- Express your love. Your love is critical to your camper’s self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Be confident and positive about the camp experience. If you express doubt about leaving them, they will have doubt about leaving you.
- Give your child a timeline. Some children transition better when they know the goodbye is coming. It’s less of a shock. When you are driving up you can tell your child that you are only going to stay at camp for a short amount of time. Once you are at camp, give them a warning of your departure and goodbye. You can say something like, “Just so you know, I’m going to say goodbye to you and then drive home in 5 minutes.” Or “OK! We’ve dropped off all your stuff, checked you in, and met your counselors! We are going to have a big hug, and after that we can say goodbye. Then I’m going to leave.”
- Practice. If you know that saying goodbye to your child will be hard for you, that’s ok! Practicing what you will say with a partner, friend, or another family member will be helpful when the moment arrives.
- Keep goodbyes short. Long goodbyes are hard and often end up being difficult for your camper and others. If a longer goodbye feels needed, we suggest going out to breakfast before coming to camp.
Please note that Arrival Day will be relatively contact-free. The goodbye process will likely take place near your family's car, so please let your camper know in advance that you won't be accompanying them beyond the car drop-off.