Little but Mighty

Nearly always - when I write about our little Sparks or Jr. Explorer campers - that's how I describe them: Little but Mighty. There are very good reasons that I do. These are campers who are generous, caring, truthful, excited, and energetic. Not at all to say that our other age groups aren't - but there is a little extra dose of all of that in these little ones. They can imagine the world as a better place and will act on it - one little act of kindness at a time.

Sparks and Jr. Explorer camps are our slowest to fill - most often because parents are bidding their time, gently asking their young ones if they would like to come to camp. Put yourself in their shoes...

Child (with big, giant doe eyes):

• What's camp? 
• What am I going to do there? 
• Are you (my parents) going to be there? 
• Do I know anybody?
• Will I like the food? I mean...I only like KD and hot dogs...Will I get KD and hot dogs?
• How long? Like how many sleeps?
• Can I stay with my sister or brother?
• Can you (my parents) come?
• Do I have to?

Do any of these questions sound familiar? Now...if you were a kid like me - none of those questions ever came up. After being asked if I wanted to go to camp I would have run down stairs, packed, and being back up the stairs before supper asking when we were going to leave. Not all kids are like me.

Most parents have a tough time looking at their five year old and believing that they could make it three nights away from them. At camp...this isn't homesickness. That's what some (very few actually) campers suffering from when they miss home or miss their parents. No - parents actually suffer from "kidsickness". It's the same separation anxiety that homesick kids experience except it's the parents - missing their kids or not believing that their kids will be okay without them. Just as we reassure our campers who struggle with separation anxiety - it's okay to miss them, it means you love them.

So the big question is this - how do you know if your son or daughter is ready for camp? Great question, right? There's no perfect formula to know for sure and there's no perfect system to get them ready - but that doesn't mean we don't try.

Ultimately - you know your child best. You know how far you can challenge them before something becomes too scary. If there's something that we know about the Sparky and Jr. Explorer ages (5-8 years) - it's that they might very well be the bravest, most adventurous, imaginative, and brave (I just have to say it again) age group we have. They are the little ones who will shed tears of fear while they're getting their climbing harness on or they may shake while they're being set on a horse. They may admit fear of all of it but when asked if we can help them one step at a time, they take a deep breath and say yes. They are eager to go on adventures - they just need to be shown the way.

Here are a few thoughts I have on why your 5-8 year old might be ready for camp:

1. Believe it or not, most are ready right now. As a parent, it may be hard to imagine your little one going on adventures without you - but most are ready. Sparks is for campers going into grade 1 and would you believe me if I told you that we have almost never, in all of my time here, seen a Sparky or Jr. Explorer camper go home due to homesickness.
2. We have AWESOME staff. Our staff help your kids remember to change their underwear, to shower, to brush their teeth, and more...They walk alongside of these kids and share the joys and challenges of the week. 
3. They will discover amazing things about themselves. They will realize that they are brave enough to climb walls, ride horses, make friends, and do it all over the next day. They may even realize that they like veggies. Studies show that kids who are able to set their own limits without the influence of their parents or siblings will try new things and push themselves in more ways than if they were being supervised by a loved one. It's where they learn independence. 
4. You may never know they're ready until you send them. There will always be a moment where, as a parent, you have to take the leap and send your child to camp. This is a tough thing to grapple with. You can end up waiting years before you send your kid to camp and STILL wonder if they're ready. There will come a point where you have to take the leap of faith and trust that they're going to be okay (even if you're not). Remember - these kids are some of our bravest campers and sometimes that means you have to be brave parents.
5. Send them early if you can. Parents often choose to wait to send their kids. I don't fault any parent who decides to wait. Afterall, parents know their kids best. What I can tell you is the age where we see the MOST kids go home due to homesickness is grades 4-6. It's the age of campers that comes after Sparks/Jr. Explorers/Explorers - what we consider to be our little kid camps. Young 5-8 year olds, when they experience separation anxiety, simply miss their parents. Our staff are able to reassure this age group successfully because they feel and protected at camp. The trouble with homesickness at the grade 4-6 age is that once those kids decide they want to go home, there is little that we can do to convince them otherwise. If we can help a 5 year old to be successful with a three night camp, it becomes easier to transition that success to a five night camp. 

We totally know that parents and campers alike have to be brave when it comes to camp. I can't tell you how many parents each summer need to take a moment in the parking lot after dropping their child off at their cabin. We understand the courage it takes to leave your most precious thing in the world in the hands of strangers. We hold that trust close to our own hearts.

There are some things you can do to help though:

• Sleep overs at friends' houses. This helps to get your child used to sleeping in other beds with a different routine.
• Registering and requesting cabinmates with friends or siblings can help (or hurt...it depends on the sibling relationship).
• Coming to visit the camp so that the camper can see what Evergreen is like. Or registering for a retreat like Father and Son, Daughter Day, or coming for our Open House on June 23rd. Any time that you can introduce them to camp, show them a cabin, let them meet some of fun staff will help them feel more at ease.

That's it for now! If you have any questions about coming to camp - we'd love to chat with you. Head here to register now.

.:jogee:.
Photos by Tammy Hanratty during Sparks 2017