The Final Countdown: Tips for Parents Before the Big Day!

It’s incredibly natural to go into apocalyptic mode in these next 24 hours.

You know what we’re talking about:

What do you want your last meal to be?
Do you want to see a final movie tonight or just relax and hug?
When would you like to take Fido for a final walk?
How about Grandma and Grandpa? Let’s give them one final call!
Give your brother one huge final good kiss goodnight! You won’t again till August!

We know you’re well-meaning, but we have some advice for what it’s worth: Stop. STOP! You’re freaking her out! Let’s all try to remain normal and happy and calm. Be cool! Let’s enjoy final pre-camp moments but not belabor them. Let’s focus not on what your daughter is missing at home but what she’s about to embark upon at camp. In our experience, end-of-world conversations and conversations focusing on home breed anxiety for a number of reasons. Here are a few of those reasons, and here’s what your daughter might be thinking: I don’t know what I want my last meal to be! Oh my gosh, but what if I pick the wrong one and I want mom’s mac & cheese tomorrow and I can’t have it! How can I live with that regret! I hadn’t thought about seeing a movie or walking Fido, and I’d sort of forgotten that I wasn’t kissing my little brother goodnight all summer. AH! That’s scary! Am I SURE I want to give all of this up?

Of course the answer is a resounding “YES!” The gifts of camp are immeasurable and what she’ll be experiencing in a few days is life-changing. So let’s not focus on a final tuck-in or that one last hug. Keep your daughter happy and focused on moving forward towards camp. Will you treasure those final moments? YES! Should you talk about them with your daughter? Probably not. We’ll say it again. Play it cool.

Smile, keep calm, talk about the great adventure she’s about to have. “Goodnight, Honey. I love you, and I’m so excited for you” always works. It’ll make it easier for your daughter to get on the bus, and it’ll give her the courage to get off that bus once she’s down the winding road at Camp Timber Tops. We’ll take it from there!

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