StephenFine
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Sep 29, 2006, 8:42 AM
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Camp Grazing or How Many Camps Should I Put On My Plate?
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Traditionally children went to camp for a month or the entire summer. After pouring over brochures, getting references or simply choosing where mom or dad had gone, the camp was selected. If the experience was a good one, then the camper would attend summer after summer. This often led to a CIT position and eventually a job as a counsellor. The life-long friendships forged from such an experience, the sense of community and the feeling of belonging cannot be disputed.
However, as the 2007 camp season approaches we acknowledge that prospective camper families have changed dramatically. We live in a multicultural society where many parents know nothing about the benefits of organized camping. Children now have a wide array of summer options to choose from. Camps are no longer the only game in town! Many families have chosen to adopt a smorgasbord approach to this bewildering array of summertime options. As a result, the one week program is becoming very popular.
There was a time when a shorter option was offered as a first time experience for very young or first time campers. This was comfortable for kids having a first time away and also for their parents. But it was considered a bridge to a longer program. The traditional wisdom being that camp was a summertime immersion - something that gave everyone in the family somewhat of a break and a time of growth for the kid’s away from home.
The trend today is to select a variety of speciality camps which necessitates a shorter stay. Let’s look at an example. Mary is 12 years old. She came to camp last summer for the first time and chose a one week stay because she didn’t know anyone and wasn’t sure she would like camp. She loved to ride and the program and facilities seemed a perfect match for her interests. When her parents came to pick her up she said that she had had a fantastic time and wanted to come back for at least two weeks next summer. She said she had made such good friends and that there was just so much more to do and learn. Any director would feel most rewarded to receive such positive feedback.
But the next season Mary once again enrolled for a week. Her mother claimed that Mary had not stopped talking about camp all year and could hardly wait to come back. She effused about the wonderful program and fabulous staff and described Mary’s camp experience as “important on many levels.” However, this year Mary had some riding competitions which conflicted. She was also on the soccer team. So they were considering a week at soccer camp. And she also wanted to attend an art camp with a friend. So, with all this and going to her aunt’s cottage as well, there was only week left to attend riding camp.
I see this increasing attitude towards “camp grazing” as somewhat problematic. Children need to learn that one must make wise choices. A longer stay at camp would have given Mary the opportunity to develop her riding skills more fully. She would also have had the time to relax and have fun with the friends who had become so important to her. However, second time around she once again opted for the “preview” when the “feature presentation” would have provided a much richer experience.
Another common reason for choosing a short camp stay is concern that the camper will be homesick. However, homesickness almost always passes quickly with the help of understanding counsellors, fellow cabin mates and exciting activities. What was strange and uncomfortable on day one soon becomes familiar and fun.
Camp is a child’s vacation. Parents should bear this in mind and look at how they feel when they are preparing to go on a cruise, ski trip, golf get away, or the in-laws cottage. First there is the hassle of packing, then the stress of getting there, and then the settling in period. Many adults will say things like, “It takes me two or three days to unwind,” or “I like my own bed – I can’t sleep until I get used to a different one.”
A child going to camp will need time to settle in as well. The first few days are exciting but they can also be uncomfortable and the feeling of “I want to go home” is not uncommon. It is a typical human reaction to new surroundings and the interruption of familiar routines. So if you have chosen a one week program because of perceived homesickness issues I suggest this may not give your child enough time to “chill” and have the great time you anticipated they would.
Now multiply this pattern for each and every change in a kid’s summertime agenda. The camper will have several first days to deal with, and several more settling in periods, and more importantly, multiple last days of saying goodbye to new friends. Considered from this perspective the stressors associated to “camp grazing” account for several unfulfilling or non-productive days – and these lost days become significant when the timeline is short to begin with.
Parents should carefully consider timeframes along with their child. The length of stay at camp should not be determined by the demands of a demanding schedule. Demanding schedules are a major source of anxiety and stress within families. Camp stands as one of the last bastions of a community of youth that moves through their days at a walking pace. This in itself is something that should be savoured.
Dr. Stephen Fine is co-owner and co-director of The Hollows Camp, Chair of Education and Research for the Ontario Camping Association, and coordinator for The International Camp Research Project.
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(This post was edited by StephenFine on Nov 2, 2006, 6:43 AM)
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