Sending your child to a summer camp can be a daunting decision. Not only do you want to find a program that offers a variety of fun activities, but you also want to make sure your child will feel supported and safe. This can be especially important for the parents of shy children, who can often become overwhelmed in new situations. Luckily, however, shyness is a common trait, and therefore plenty of information is available on how to help your child work through their nerves and enjoy an adventurous summer.
Tell them what to expect
Walking into a new environment can be nerve wracking for anyone, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Running through the basics of camp, especially those first few days as everyone settles in, can help your child feel less lost. Prepare a game plan with them, and potentially give them a few pointers on how to say hello to their new bunk mates.
Be patient and empathetic
As a parent, it’s natural to want to see your child break out of their shell and shine, however, every child moves at their own pace. While it is beneficial to gently push them to step out of their comfort zone, it is important to praise the little victories. It can also be helpful to talk about your own experience overcoming shyness, and to remind them that everyone occasionally feels nervous – likely even the other campers!
Review the camp philosophy
When ultimately making your choice about which summer camp to send your child to, carefully review the camp’s philosophy. What do they value? How do they support their campers? What is the counselor to camper ratio? It will be a lot harder for a counselor to support and guide a shy child if they are supervising thirty other boisterous campers. Additionally, look for camps that will keep you up-to-date on your child’s activities and successes – this guarantees that the camp is committed to offering your child a fun and educational experience.
Join Us at Camp Cody
At Camp Cody, we take our philosophy seriously. Our counselors are dedicated to making sure your child is safe and at ease, and we gently challenge them to step out of their comfort zone at their own pace. We create unique and fun icebreakers to give campers the opportunity to branch out and meet new people with similar interests, and then watch as these new friends join in on activities together. Often, friendships are formed in our cabins, where campers wind down after a long day and share exciting stories of their daily adventures with their bunk mates. It fills us all with pride when we watch a child come out of their shell and dive into life at camp with excitement, and we hope to give each camper lifelong memories of the friends they made at Camp Cody.