7 Reasons to Send Your Kid to Summer Camp
by Travis Adams
Why would anyone send his or her kids away for a few weeks to summer camp? Is it really worth it? For those parents who’ve already sent their kids to a quality summer camp, this may seem like a silly question. For parents who are looking at summer camp for the first time, I think it’s a great question. Here are seven reasons to send your child to summer camp:
1. Socialization Skills
Going to summer camp replaces television with authentic human interaction. Quite possibly the biggest benefit to an outdoor summer camp is shutting off your cell phone, closing your laptop, and getting away from technology. A recent study by Neilson Media Research showed that kids ages two to five average more than 32 hours a week in front of a television. This is a bit scary considering that the United States Department of Education found that academic achievement drops sharply for children who watch more than 10 hours a week of television.
2. Counselors Act As Positive Role Models
Going to summer camp allows your child to be around positive role models who have a substantial impact on your child’s decision-making throughout the year. How many times do you wish your oldest child had an older sibling to encourage, guide, and mentor them? One of the biggest benefits of summer camp is having positive high school and college-aged counselors who play a vital role in pouring their time and love into the kids. The United States Department of Justice found that when youth had role models, such as in their Big Brother or Big Sister program, their tendency to lie to their parents dropped by more than 36 percent.
3. Finding Delight In The Simple Things
Going to summer camp allows your kids to enjoy the simple things in life. You would be amazed at how much fun kids can have mud sliding, eating and being submerged in watermelon, and diving headfirst into a plate of whip cream and pickles.
4. Building Independence
Going to summer camp allows your child to spread his independent wings. Last summer we had a seven-year-old boy who was away from home for the very first time. In fact, he still slept in the same room with his parents. After overcoming homesickness, we literally saw the boy transformed. On closing day, he begged his mom to let him come back to camp and to let him move into his own room at home.
5. Experience Nature
Going to summer camp allows children to experience nature in a whole new way. How many days do your children spend each year watching a sunrise or sunset, listening to crickets and chasing fireflies? They will find building campfires, watching wildlife and getting outdoor education adventurous and exciting.
6. Build Sibling Relationships
If you have more than one child and they can attend the same summer camp, it is a great experience to allow siblings to bond without mom and dad. Time at camp puts them in neutral territory and gives them the freedom to build their relationship.
7. Create Friendships
Going to summer camp allows your children to develop life-long friendships and memories second to none. Genuine friendships are so important and harder and harder to come by.
