My 10 year old son is at a 3wk camp. He has 2 more weeks. My older son is a counselor there and he had a day off yesterday and told me that the younger one was crying that morning, but cheered up after they started playing. If he completes this camp he gets a college scholarship (long story on that). So - should I go get him, or leave him there?
2006-07-19 02:43:38 · 26 answers · asked by Mollyismydog 3 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
Leave him there. I went ot camp just a few weeks ago and can not tell you how many kids were homesick, however, each one of them got over their home sickness and had so much fun that by the end of the week they hated to leave.
2006-07-19 02:47:09 · answer #1 · answered by Akarui 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If this the first episode of him feeling homesick or has this happened all week long? If it's only the first time this whole week that it has occured, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Everyone gets homesick sometimes (I still do sometimes at 22!).
I think it would be to your son's best advantage if he stuck out the three weeks. It sounds as though once he gets his mind off being away from home, he's having a good time, and he will regret leaving. If you are concerned, you might be able to send him small care packages or something from home that will make him feel more comfortable. Having his older brother there too may also work to your advantage, in that he could go and talk to him if he's feeling homesick.
2006-07-19 02:49:38 · answer #2 · answered by MandyT 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a camp director and counselor. I have counseled camps for 8 years now and I have directed for the past 3. The age group I direct is 3-5th grade.
As a director we strongly suggest to parents to let their kids finish the camp. Taking a kid from the camp will not only take away a chance for the child to have a new and fulfilling experience but will also disrupt the community being formed.
I know it can seem callous leaving him there. In fact there are parents who are probably aware that their kids are also homesick. True, some of those parents will pick their kid up. BUT, I have never seen a kids stay homesick when a parent DOESN'T pick their child up from camp. My guess is: you leave him there and at the end of the three weeks he will be crying to stay at the camp.
2006-07-19 02:56:44 · answer #3 · answered by Rev Mel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My gut feeling is to let him work this out on his own. As a mother, that is so hard to do because you want to protect him.
I have a feeling that he will adjust more and more as each day goes by. You may even have a hard time getting him to leave when you pick him up at the end of camp!
One other thing you could do is have your older son talk to him and see if there is any other reason is upset (like a bully, for example). You older son could commit to checking in with him once or twice per day to see if he is adjusting.
Good luck.
2006-07-19 02:51:22 · answer #4 · answered by keepingitreal 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being homesick is normal and if your older boy said he cheered up after they started playing I would leave him there. If he wouldn't of cheered up I would go get him but sounds like just normal homesickness he will get over it and be ok. Especially with a scholarship at stake I would just have your older boy keep an eye on him and if he gets to the point where he doesn't cheer up when he is playing with the kids go get him but otherwise leave him there. Good luck I hope he makes it....
2006-07-19 02:50:07 · answer #5 · answered by Kookie M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get your older son to check up on him in a day or two and then if he is still unhappy then go get him ! he is after all only 10 , I understand there is a scholarship but hey what price do you put on a smile ?
Good luck I hope he cheers up and starts to enjoy the camp.
2006-07-19 02:55:03 · answer #6 · answered by grahamhoodsa 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LEAVE HIM THERE! Most kids get homesick; and then they get distracted and it goes away. Afterall, his brother is there. Tell his older brother that you will not come get him early; tell the boy that he's big enough to stick out 3 weeks of camp just like his older brother. If you rescue him now, you'll be doing that the rest of your life. This is a healthy environment for him and a chance to learn to untie the apron strings. This is also a chance for YOU to let go and let him grow as a young man. Good Luck.
2006-07-19 03:25:07 · answer #7 · answered by Sassy OLD Broad 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is not whiney - he is a normal 10 year old. Three weeks is a long time to go away to camp (we did four when we were little and visited with my parents on Sundays). If he cheers up when distracted, then he is a-okay. This will be a great learning experience for him and will give him wonderful memories later on (the scholarship is a great bonus too).
2006-07-19 02:49:07 · answer #8 · answered by pugluvr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, leave him. Its normal to be homesick but you don't want to get bad habits started by giving in to it. What you might try doing is writing him letters, calling him if there is a designated time, e-mailing etc... By doing this, you are giving him the reassurance that he might need and you can find out if there are any underlying problems. It sounds like he might be needing something familiar and that is why he cheered up when you older son came to play with him.
2006-07-19 02:56:21 · answer #9 · answered by Brittany D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he is homesick, he shouldn't be forced to stay. He could be uncomfortable about not coming home at the age of 10. He could be having a problem that you don't know about unless you are there. So don't make him stay. The more you force him, the more he will hate camp. Afterwards, he will never want to go again.
2006-07-19 03:02:49 · answer #10 · answered by youngwoman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋