A message from your first session Yoetzot, Adina, Caryn, Lauren, Michelle, & Tracy:
What is my child doing now? Do they like the food? Are they making friends? How are they at bedtime? Is anyone comforting them if they feel homesick? Are they okay??? These are all questions that run through our minds, as parents and caregivers, when we send our most precious people off to camp. And not knowing the answers is so very, very difficult.
We tell the campers regularly that we grow as individuals when we permit ourselves to feel “comfortably uncomfortable”. This is how we develop resilience – we get through difficult moments and can look back on them from the other side, recognize how we handled the moments, what worked and what didn’t work as well.
One strategy that many campers use to release worries is through writing letters home. They may use letter writing similarly to a journal or diary, pouring out their thoughts and feelings on paper during a quiet time of the day, when they may be less busy and thus thinking more of home. And then they move on and return to having fun.
If you receive a homesick or sad letter from your camper, please know that this is a moment, and that the moment has long passed by the time you receive the letter. If your camper was unhappy for more time than not, the camper care team (yoetzot) would have already reached out to share and brainstorm with you. Photographs are also just a moment in time. Don’t be concerned if your child was not in pictures (& we’re trying really hard to make sure that we get everyone in pictures) And if you see them sitting on the sidelines, please presume positive intent – they may have been caught at the moment they were taking a water break or waiting for their turn in a game!
Days at camp can feel loooong, and our campers are busy! While we encourage letter writing, no news is good news! Additionally, mail delivery through Waynesboro can be slow. This small-town post office is slammed every summer when the local population explodes due to all of our campers. It’s likely that letters from your camper may take 3-4 days to reach you. So by the time you receive a sad or homesick letter, your child moved on days earlier!
When you email or write your camper, let them know that you are proud of them for trying new things, collaborating with friends, facing challenges, and learning how to resolve conflicts when they arise. Remind them that they’ve handled difficult moments in the past & that these situations will build grit for facing future adversity. It’s not just about deep content – short, frequent emails can sometimes be more helpful than occasional long ones.
Also, please do not share about how dearly you miss them, how quiet the house is without them, or how the family pet is sleeping by the door or in their bed, waiting for them to return home!! Be your child’s cheerleader, morale booster, hope builder, & dream partner.
We are delighted to meet and get to know your children. Thank you for entrusting them to our care!