With the summer season comes summer camps and kids being gone for days, maybe even weeks, at a time. And with kids being gone without parental supervision comes anxiety and worrying over what and how they are doing. Here are some tips to keep tabs on your children while they’re away from home:
- Follow them on social media.
- The likelihood of your child posting something on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter about their stay at camp is high. Follow them to see what they’re up to, and their true feelings about what’s going on while they’re away.
- Follow the camp/program on social media.
- Many summer camps, such as On The Edge and A Vision For Life, have their own social media accounts that they update daily/weekly. Some camps even do weekly video recaps, so you can catch a glimpse of the day-to-day activities your child is participating in.
- Call their counselor.
- Who better to ask how your child is doing than the person that’s looking after them? Get your child’s counselor’s phone number before you leave so you can call them during the week to check up. It’s suggested that you only call them once a week if the camp/program is two or more weeks, or after three days if it’s only one week.
- Send them letters and/or care packages.
- Stay in contact with your child by writing them letters and sending care packages. Sure, you can text them, but more than likely phones will be prohibited during sessions so response time will be spotty. Plus, handwritten letters are more personal than a text message. Care packages show you’re thinking about your child.
With these tips comes a warning: allow your child/children to breath. Staying in touch with them while doesn’t mean hovering. Summer camps/programs are a time for a child to develop independence and mature in who the Lord has created them to be.