Nearly all kids miss something about home when they're away at camp.  It's normal.  If there's something about home you miss, that means there's something about home you love, and that's a wonderful thing.

To stop strong feelings of missing home before they start, kids find it helpful to: 

1. Practice
   Spend some practice time away from home.  Try and overnight at a friend's house or maybe a weekend at your grandparents.  Overnights help you get used to being away from home.
2. Use a Calendar
   Buy or make a little calendar and mark the days you'll be at camp.  Once you see that you won't be at camp forever, it will be easy to make the most of your time there.
3. Talk with Kids
   Talk to someone your age who has been to camp before.  Your camp's director can give you the names and numbers of some returning camper families.  And let's face it: Kids who have been to camp before can tell you way more than any grown-up.

 

Want to learn even more about enjoying camp and preventing homesickness?  Ask your mom or dad about buying a brand new DVD/CD set called The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success.  You'll laugh out loud and learn how to cut homesickness in half.