John Vandervelde - Program Director
Yesterday I gave you some suggestions for assessing your child's readiness for camp and for preparing your child for the camp experience. Today's blog entry is again directed to parents and I will offer some suggestion that parents can use to prepare themselves for sending a child away to camp.
1) Pray, pray, and then pray some more. Prayer is the tool God has given us to talk with him about our praises, confessions, and needs. God comes close to us in prayer, and we come close to him. When we pray we begin to realign and refocus our lives to what Philip Yancey calls a "God's-eye perspective." As you pray about your child and his camp experience, pray for him, for his counselors, and for his growth; also pray that God would give you as the parent a God's-eye view of your child and of his experience at HoneyRock. Pray that your nervousness, anxiety, and loneliness will begin to pale in comparison to the transformation and growth that could take place in your child's life while he's at HoneyRock.
2) Don't make promises you can't keep. Sometimes we promise things to our kids not only to make our kids happy but to make us feel like we are "good parents." I strongly encourage parents to be very careful about what they promise their child regarding camp. Making promises you can't keep hurts your child and ultimately hurts you. Here are a few examples of unfulfilled parental promises we've witnessed here at HoneyRock: a) Telling your child you will talk to her on the phone while she is at camp. b) Promising you'll be at Family Day when you know you won't be able to attend. c) Telling your child she has $100 in her Beehive account when she only has $20. d) Promising her that she will know everyone in her cabin. e) Telling her it won't rain and that there are no bugs. f) Telling your child that you'll just come pick her up if she doesn't like camp.
3) Have your child contribute financially to his camp fee. There are several benefits to doing this. Children who contribute some of their own money to camp have higher ownership for the camp experience--they take it more seriously and they go 110% while they are here. So many kids today have everything given to them that they've developed an entitlement mentality. This is a way to help break that mentality. Another benefit to you as parent is that you will see your child's desire for camp grow and his ownership increase. This will begin to put your mind at ease and build your confidence that your child is going to have a great summer. We have a matching program set up for kids who contribute their own money to camp. Check it out here.
4) Talk to us. Instead of sitting at home wringing your hands and wondering if you should call HoneyRock to ask a question about camp, our counselors, our activities, if your child will really be safe, or anything else that comes to mind, pick up the phone and call us. Or you can drop us an email. Yes, we are busy people, but we are here because we love kids and families. We want to answer your questions and help put your mind at ease. Remember there are no stupid questions. You can call me at 715-479-7474 x202 or email johnv@honeyrockcamp.org
5) Apply for financial assistance. One of the biggest causes of stress on families who want to send a child to camp is finances. Parents who are worried about how they are going to pay for camp aren't in a state of mind where they can prepare their child or themselves for the summer ahead. It is a big financial investment to send your child to HoneyRock, and for many families sacrifices must be made to come up with the funds. I want you to know that help is available. Last year we gave nearly $200,000 away in financial assistance to camper families. If the stress and worry of funding the camp experience is overwhelming, please apply for help. You can do so here. We will never let finances stand in the way of a child coming to HoneyRock.
We know that for some families sending a child away to HoneyRock can be a tough thing, both for the child and for the parents. We don't have all the answers to every question and concern, but we've been at this since 1951 and we've learned a few things. I hope these blog entries have been helpful for some of you who've been wrestling with these issues. Again, please contact me if you have any concerns or questions.
