Please, do not tell your child you will take them home early if they don't like camp. This prevents most children from making the effort it takes to overcome what is typical, normal homesickness. Instead, when they experience the normal discomfort of getting used to a new place, they can think of nothing but their parents’ promise to take them home, and they focus on this rather than making the adjustment. This can sabotage the camp experience before it begins. We have found that the expectation that your camper will remain for their entire session is helpful in making camp a success.

The message to your camper should be that spending time away from home is an important part of growing up, and that even as it is designed to be great fun, it is also a life task to be motivated to complete.