Preparing For and Navigating Homesickness

As the Dean of Campers, I see homesickness every summer. It’s a completely normal and common part of the camp experience. Whether it’s a first-year camper or an experienced camper proudly wearing their 5th year jacket, homesickness can appear at any stage and in many different ways. Some kids miss home the second they step onto Ballibay soil, while it surfaces for others a couple days in.

However, I have seen firsthand that homesickness is almost always completely manageable. With a little preparation and a ton of support and care, it can even be an incredible part of your camper’s independence and growth.

Preparing for Homesickness 

Get Letters & Stationary Ready: Pack pre-addressed, stamped envelopes to make it easy for your camper to write home! Since calling home won’t be an option, letters can be a great, old-school way to share their experiences and even work through any feelings they’re having.  Encourage them to write about their favorite activities, new friends, their cabin counselors, or even moments when they’re feeling a bit homesick. Putting their thoughts on paper can be a comforting way to process their emotions. 

Cabin Comforts: A few familiar items in their bunk can make a huge difference. Packing a favorite stuffed animal, photos of family and friends, their own pillow, or even some twinkling lights help to make their space feel cozy and comforting. 

Pre-Send Letters or Care Packages: Camp Ballibay is no stranger to the United States Postal Service! We receive and distribute mail and packages every day. Sending out a letter or care package a few days before the start of your camper’s session can be a comforting reminder that something special is coming from home. Camp-friendly items (no food, please!) like cool stickers or even something from the Camp Ballibay Store will be sure to bring a smile to your camper’s face!

Avoid "Rescue" Deals: Sometimes parents think that promising their child they can come home after a few days if they’re not liking camp will help them with their homesickness. Unfortunately, the rest of the camp administration and I have seen that this approach rarely works. When a camper believes they have an ‘out,’ it’s incredibly hard to change that mindset and they will stay fixated on the idea of going home. This commonly prevents them from giving camp a fair shot.

Acknowledge Feelings: Sit down with your camper before camp starts and talk about how they might feel during the first few days. Let them know it’s okay to miss home and reassure them that those feelings will start to fade as they settle into the groove of camp life. 

Navigating Homesickness 

Homesickness may come in waves. Here’s how your camper can work through it:

Staying Busy: The best way to move past homesickness is to dive into their camp activities. It’s important for them to stay engaged to help shift the focus away from missing home. They might think they aren’t enjoying themselves and may even want to quit their show, drop out of their band, or insist on going home immediately. These feelings are a natural response to being in a new environment, especially during the first few days of camp. But often, the toughest moments pass once campers find their rhythm and become more engaged in their activities. 

Self-Care: Small comforts can help campers feel more at ease. Reading a good book, making friendship bracelets, or listening to a favorite podcast can be little ways to boost their mood.

Connect With Others: Camp is full of people who want to help support your camper- campers, counselors, camp administrators, and even other homesick campers who might be feeling the same way. Connecting with others is a great way to remind your camper that they’re not alone. It all starts with a simple “hello!”

Camper Orientation: Homesickness tends to be most common during the first three days of camp, which also happens to be when the campers are going through our Camper Orientation. This is a time when they’ll get a detailed tour of camp, meet all the staff, and learn about each program area. While orientation is an important part of getting to know camp, it’s also much more structured and not quite like the regular day-to-day camp life. That being said, it’s common for campers to feel homesick during this time. And while it’s important to give your camper space to work through their feelings, it’s also helpful to remember that once camper orientation ends and ‘real’ camp begins, many campers will begin to feel much more comfortable with camp life. A little patience can go a long way!

Contacting Your Homesick Camper At Camp (For Parents)

Parents often wonder how they can contact their campers while still respecting our communication policy. Here are a few tips:

Send Encouraging Letters: Upbeat and supportive letters are a great way to communicate with your camper. Ask them about all the fun things they’re doing and focus on their camp experience rather than what’s happening at home. Sometimes if a camper feels like they’re missing out on too much at home, it can make their homesickness worse. But of course, an update or two won’t hurt!

Phone Calls?: We find phone calls exacerbate homesickness, and tend to make a camper who might be struggling - struggle even more once they hear your voice on the phone. You are more than welcome to call or email the office at any time for an update on how your camper is adjusting to camp. At the end of the day, no news is good news. However, if you feel strongly that you want to speak with your camper, we will arrange it. 

The Homesick Call: If it does get to a point where you want to arrange a call, here’s what to expect. It’s common for kids to save their ‘worst’ for their parents- sometimes with tears and a firm insistence that they want to come home. While these moments can be tough to hear, they’re also a natural part of adjusting to camp life for some campers. If you’re confronted with this situation, it’s okay to encourage your campers to stick it out. With the tips in the “Navigating Homesickness” section above and a conversation with myself, we can create a plan to support them through it.

Trust the Camp’s Support System: Our staff are well-trained in helping campers navigate homesickness and our camp administration has years and years of experience dealing with this. If your camper experiences severe or prolonged homesickness, we will notify you and collaborate on the next best steps. Please trust that your camper is in caring hands!

Though homesickness is a challenging, but natural part of being away from home, it also presents itself with the unique opportunity for growth. With the right preparation and support, homesickness is manageable. Campers can work through it and have an incredible summer. If your camper feels anxious about being away from home, remind them that they’re not alone and that Ballibay is full of people who want to support them.