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avatarSteve
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How do I know if my child is able to handle a sleep-away camp?



Question applies to ages: 8

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avatarElizabeth.Johns
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My own kids didn't attend sleep-away camp until they were 10, so I did a little Web surfing to find some ideas for you.

Many camps don't take overnight campers until the age of 8, although more camps are beginning to accept 5 and 6 year-olds for sleepaway camp. Some of the readiness criteria I found includes:

Has your child asked to go to camp?

Has your child had positive sleep-away experiences, such as sleepovers at a friend's house or a weekend visit to grandma's without you?

Does your child make friends easily? Kids who make friends easily tend to adapt to sleep-away camp more quickly than kids who are slow to warm up to others.

Can your child handle his or her own self-care? Toothbrushing, showering, dressing, etc. are important skills that your child will be expected to do on his/her own. Camp staff and counselors will be there, but can't be expected to help 12 kids in a cabin with toothbrushing every night.

Has your child had positive day camp experiences? Some of the sites recommended that your child already have some sort of camp experience so there's only one new thing to get used to (being away) and not two (camping and being away).

I hope these guidelines help you determine your child's overnight camp readiness.


References:
mom of 4 (3 of whom have been away to camp)
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