School Camp Anxiety

Going on a School camp gives children a great opportunity to foster new friendships and develop life skills. It can be daunting and cause anxiety for some children because they will be sleeping away from home, possibly for the first time.

Overcoming these fears is important for children to help them grow. A positive mindset and reassuring words will encourage your children to believe they can push their boundaries and have a great time with new and old friends.

Some common fears children may have before going on School camp are:

The memories children will make on School camp will last a lifetime. Whether it’s the positives such as sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows, laughing with your friends under the stars or conquering long hikes and having soggy shoes, these may be the greatest school memories they make.

 It can be difficult to navigate the anxiety of children in these circumstances, here are 5 helpful tips to reduce and overcome their fears

• Normalise their fears

Affirming that anxiety about School camp is a normal and an expected feeling for a child can offer empathy and build confidence for children feeling this way. It can be tempting to excuse children from camp when their anxiety is very strong however maintaining the expectation that they will be attending camp will avoid any short-term relief which can cause more anxiety and reinforce fears.

Sharing some positive memories from your own camp experience may help in finding out any specific parts they are feeling anxious about. A specific fear may have a solution that can be put in place before leaving for camp.

• Be Positive

It is important to tell children that you believe they are ready for school Camp and that they will have fun as this helps them believe it too. Tell children of a time they have previously overcome their fears and had fun (like joining a team sport). Check in with your own feelings as you may be conveying nerves which could be affecting the child’s confidence in going on School camp.

• Encourage independence in a familiar environment

Before embarking on School camp, children can be given some responsibilities at home, such as organising their uniforms and packing their lunch for the school week. A camp list may be provided from the school to assist with packing, go through this list together and then allow the child to pack their own bag (you may want to secretly go through it at a later time to ensure they have everything they need!).

• Establish where they can seek help if needed

Reassure children that seeking help is not a failure and in fact it is something successful people do.

Encourage children to talk to their camp Leader before leaving on School camp to alleviate some of their fears. This can help build confidence in their ability to obtain help while away. The camp Leader may also be able to buddy children up to beat their fears together.

• Managing menstruation during camp

This can be one of the biggest concerns when going on School camp for older children. Be prepared by packing the appropriate sanity items the child might need and also medication for pain relief. Request information on the campsites facilities that will be available to discuss with the child prior to leaving for camp. Knowing what to expect can help ease their nerves and encourage them to go on School camp during this time.