YMCA Camp Weaver shares advice for sending kids to overnight camp for the first time
WE WILL GET TO THE FORECAST IN JUST A SECOND. WELL, HE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YMCA CAMP WEAVER IN GREENSBORO. GARETH, THANKS FOR JOINING US. I CAN HEAR YOUR MIC YET, CAN YOU TRY TALKING AGAIN? GARETH: YES, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. CHRISTINA: OK, WE GOT YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF SLEEP-AWAY CAMP? I WAS NEVER ABLE TO GO AS A CHILD, BUT IT WAS A DREAM FOR ME. I KNOW WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD’S LIFE. GARETH: YES, IT IS NOT JUST THE NEW EXPERIENCES, SWIMMING IN THE LAKE, WHICH IS FINE, WE REALLY PROMOTE THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AWARENESS OF EVERYTHING. PROBLEM SOLVING, SOCIAL PROBLEMS THAT WE ALL HAVE IN OUR LIFE AND GAINING SOCIAL SCHOOLS AND JUST HELP TO OVERCOME, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT SITUATIONS WITHOUT MOM OR DAD BEING THERE TO HELP YOU THROUGH IT. CHRISTINA: THAT IS VERY TRUE, AND PARENTS ARE, OF COURSE, STILL HANDS-ON, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY YEARS. HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF THEIR CHILD IS READY FOR OVERNIGHT CAMP? GARETH: IN MY EXPERIENCE, CHILDREN ARE USUALLY READY, RIGHT? WE HAVE ALL THE FUN STUFF HERE, MOUNTAIN BIKING, SWIMMING IN THE LAKE, PLAYING SPORTS AND ALL THAT STUFF. IT IS MOSTLY THAT THE PARENT HAS TO BE READY TO LET THEIR CHILD GO, AND THERE’S A LOT OF TRUST, PUTTING THEM WITH WHAT ARE ESSENTIALLY A GROUP OF STRANGERS FOR A WEEK OR TWO. THE PARENT NEEDS TO BE CONFIDENT IN THE CHILD AND TRUSTING OF THE CAMP THAT THEY ARE SENDING THEM TOO. CHRISTINA: MAYBE TO EASE THEIR MINDS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO PACK FOR CAMP? CAN YOU SUGGEST THOSE THINGS THAT KIDS SHOULD BRING ALONG WITH THEM? GARETH: YES. YOUR CHILD IS PRONE TO HOMESICKNESS, SO PACK A FAVORITE TEDDY BEAR, OR IF IT IS A FAVORITE BOOK HE READ TO YOUR CHILD EVERY NIGHT. USUALLY AT NIGHTTIME, THEY GET UPSET, AND OUR STAFF ARE TRAINED TO DEAL WITH THAT SITUATION AND ARE HAPPY TO GO OVER ANYTHING YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO AT HOME AT WELL — AS WELL. CHRISTINA: WE ALL KNOW THAT PARENTS MAY NOT WANT TO RECEIVE THAT DREADED LETTER MAY BE REACHING OUT OR A PHONE CALL SAYING HEY, MOM AND DAD, I AM AARON, CAN YOU COME PICK ME OUT? — I AM SCARED. CAN YOU COME PICK ME UP? WHAT SHOULD THEY DO IF THEY RECEIVE THAT LETTER ASKING MOM OR DAD TO COME PICK THEM UP? GARETH: IF YOU SEND THEM TO SUMMER CAMP FOR THAT REASON, COMING TO PICK THEM UP IS NOT HELPING THEIR DEVELOPMENT. AND WE HAVE PEOPLE AND STAFF HERE THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY HIRED TO DEAL WITH HOMESICKNESS. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TALK MORE WITH YOU, AND JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS NORMAL, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. AND THEY SHOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU BEFORE, IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS. WE ALWAYS SAY NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS. WE DON’T TRY TO HIDE ANYTHING. SO IF THERE IS NO CONTACT WITH YOU, THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. CHRISTINA: I CAN BELIEVE IT. GARETH, WE HAVE BEEN SHOWING SOME AMAZING VIDEOS OF WHAT YOU GUYS OFFER AT THE CAP. CAN YOU MAYBE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT YOUR FAVORITE PART OF HAVING THOSE KIDS FOR A WEEK OR TWO AT A TIME AT CAMP WEAVER? GARETH: YES, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE ALL THOSE FUN ACTIVITIES AND EVERYTHING. MY FAVORITE THING IS PROBABLY MEALTIMES. GET MOST OF THE BENEFITS, 12 PEOPLE SAT AT A TABLE, EATING FAMILY-STYLE, YOU KNOW. EVERYBODY HAS TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE SEE SOCIAL SKILLS, TABLE MANNERS IMPROVE COME AND WATCH CHILDREN COME OUT OF THEIR SHELL MUCH MORE. SO HAVING EVERYBODY IN ONE BIG SPACE AND HEARING THE CHATTER IN THE LAUGHTER IS MY FAVORITE PART OF CAMP. CHRISTINA: IT DOES SHOW YOU THE OTHER SIDE OF LEARNING YOU CAN’T QUITE GET IN SCHOOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, GARETH, FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. IF YOUR CHILD IS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING YMCA CAMP WEAVER, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION AT THE WEBSITE, OR YOU CAN CALL THAT PHONE NUMBER THAT IS SITTING THERE ON YOUR SCREE
YMCA Camp Weaver shares advice for sending kids to overnight camp for the first time
Updated: 10:39 AM EDT Jul 14, 2022
,
