By Tanni Haas

There are few things more exciting in kids’ lives than their first sleepaway camp. How do you prepare your kids—and yourself—for this big event? Drawing on conversations with parents, as well as my own experiences as the parent of a teenager who’s a happy camper, I’ve identified eight things you should do.

Prepare for camp together. You want your kids to take ownership of this exciting experience, so prepare for it with them. Bring them when you go shopping for all the stuff on the packing list and pack jointly, using luggage that isn’t too difficult to carry. Also, to build excitement, talk to your kids about all the incredible things they’re going to experience, and explain the camp’s rules and expectations.

Pack clothing for all kinds of weather. Don’t pack your kids’ best items. Whether it’s a sports camp or any other type of program, there are likely to be outdoor activities during which clothing will get stained, torn, or ruined. Pack their most durable clothes, and make sure that there are choices for all kinds of weather—both sunny, warm days and rainy, cool days. Most importantly, label everything with your kids’ names. A good friend of ours forgot to do that when their daughter went to her first sleepaway camp. She came home with all kinds of wild clothes they’d never seen before.

Have a sleepover—or two. Your kids are going to be away from you, possibly for the first time, for an extended period. Some kids have absolutely no problem adjusting; others need to slowly dip their feet in the water, so to speak. Organize a couple of sleepovers at their friends’ houses, to get them used to being away from you.

Speak to parents in your neighborhood. No matter how confident your kids are that they’re going to be just fine without you, it’s always a good idea to bring them some comfort from home. Reach out to other parents from your kids’ school or your neighborhood to see if they plan on sending their kids to the same camp. Most camps let parents request that their kids bunk with one or more of their regular friends. 

Contribute money to the candy store. Most sleepaway camps have a store where kids can buy candy with money from an account to which parents have contributed. Ask the camp director what amount parents typically contribute to this account, and make the same contribution. Kids compare themselves to other kids; no one wants to be the odd one out with less money to buy candy than everyone else. Conversely, you don’t want to contribute too much money.

Find out about communication and care package policies. Are you allowed a certain number of emails or letters? How many care packages are you permitted to mail, and are their rules about what you can and can’t send? If you’re allowed to include toys, choose items that your kids can enjoy with other campers, such as Frisbees and playing cards, instead of toys that they can only enjoy by themselves. During our son’s first sleepaway camp, my spouse and I sent him several decks of playing cards. The kids ended up playing cards with the camp counselors until late at night.

Don’t hang around too long. When you finally arrive at camp for the drop-off, do yourself—and your kids—a favor and leave once they’re settled in. Bring them to their cabin, help them unpack if necessary, and then extract yourself as quickly as possible. Your kids are eager to meet all the other campers, and there’s nothing as embarrassing as a parent who lingers for what appears to be no good reason. Let them start connecting and bonding with their counselors and the other kids. 

Don’t worry—they’re going to be fine. Once you’re back in the car, take a deep breath, and then head home. Your kids are going to be fine, and so will you. Trust me. 

Tanni Haas, PhD, is a college communications professor.