{"id":28186,"date":"2019-04-17T15:53:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T20:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/?p=28186"},"modified":"2019-04-18T13:42:30","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T18:42:30","slug":"why-summer-camp-over-camp-mommy-is-beneficial-for-your-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/why-summer-camp-over-camp-mommy-is-beneficial-for-your-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Summer Camp over Camp Mommy is Beneficial for Your Child\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"marshmallow,<\/span><\/p>\n

While you might be planning visits to museums and outings to the park with your children this summer, I\u2019ll be sending my two girls to camp. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I love my children and <\/span>enjoy spending time with them, <\/span>but I <\/span>know I can\u2019t<\/span> give them what a summer <\/span>spent at<\/span> camp can. <\/span>I\u2019m aware that just by being with them and helping them with their daily rou<\/span>tines, I\u2019m inadvertently <\/span>taking away some of the <\/span>important <\/span>life skills I know they need <\/span>to become successful<\/span> adults.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why giving your child the gift of camp<\/span>, whether it\u2019s day or overnight, <\/span>is one of the best experiences you could provide for <\/span>your children\u2019s<\/span> social-emotional well-being.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-Sufficiency<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s hard for<\/span> parent<\/span>s<\/span> to accept, when we are around, children rely on us for things the<\/span>y can be doing for themselves. <\/span>Camp <\/span>encourages children to be independent<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I went to visiting day at the day camp my 3 \u00bd year old goes to, I started to help her with her swim shoes for the swim demonstration until her counselor sai<\/span>d, \u201cShe can do it on her own.\u201d <\/span>Sure enough, she put on her own shoes and I was told she put <\/span>on her own bathing suit as well.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From picking out their own outfits <\/span>and making their own beds at overnight camp to choosing what they want to eat for lunch at day camp,<\/span> campers are learning to do things on their own.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Try New Things<\/h3>\n

Children are exposed to so many new activities at camp that they wouldn\u2019<\/span>t otherwise try. <\/span>Last summer, when<\/span> scrolling through the online photos that my daughter\u2019s camp posts each<\/span> week, I saw her with a harness<\/span> on<\/span>, suspended in the air, <\/span>comfortable as could be<\/span>. <\/span>I later learned she was on the \u201cFlying Squirrel,\u201d part of the high ropes course.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All I could think was, \u201cWOW!\u201d M<\/span>y quiet, shy<\/span>,<\/span> five year old was <\/span>taking herself<\/span> out of her comfort zone and loving it. <\/span>Research by the American Camp Association shows that 74% of campers said they did things at camp that at first they were afraid to do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When children try new things and then su<\/span>cceed, they build confidence an<\/span>d feel good about themselves.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unplug<\/h3>\n

There <\/span>won\u2019t be any<\/span> sitting on the couch with an <\/span>iP<\/span>ad for my girls this summer. <\/span>They will be unplugging at camp since the majority of cam<\/span>ps have a no technology policy. <\/span>Camp is truly <\/span>one of the last environments<\/span> where children can take a break from screens and the pressures of social media.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No phones. No social media. No <\/span>F<\/span>ortnite. <\/span>Just<\/span> campers communicating face to face on the sports field<\/span>, in the pool<\/span> or at arts and crafts.<\/span> Campers actually just jump in the lake ONE TIME without asking a friend to take multiple photos to get that perfect Instagram shot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Resilience<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately<\/span>,<\/span> we are living in an age of \u201cSnow Plow Parents\u201d<\/span> where parents are so<\/span> worried about their children failing that they p<\/span>ave the way for their success. <\/span>But <\/span>as parents, we<\/span> aren\u2019t doing <\/span>our children any f<\/span>avors. <\/span>I know I struggle with holding back sending an email to the teacher about a child bothering my daughter<\/span>,<\/span> but I know I\u2019m taking away the chance for my daughter to figure things out on her own, which is a skill she will n<\/span>eed to master in her lifetime.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Camp offers children the opportunity to <\/span>build resilience.\u00a0 Whether a camper is homesick for a few <\/span>days in the beginning of camp<\/span> or isn\u2019t at first getting along with bunkmates, campers work through situations on their own, without the assistance of mom and dad to \u201cmake it all better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Role models<\/h3>\n

If your child is <\/span>anything like my youngest daughter, her <\/span>meals<\/span> look something like this: pasta, grilled cheese and yogurt. <\/span>I can\u2019t get h<\/span>er to budge on anything green. But guess who can? <\/span>Her <\/span>young and <\/span>cool<\/span> twenty-<\/span>year<\/span>–<\/span> old camp counselor!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is something about a camp counselor that can encourage your child to try new foods, a new activity or to challenge your child<\/span> in a way that a parent can\u2019t. <\/span>Broccoli anyone?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Community<\/h3>\n

Children become part of a<\/span> caring<\/span> community at camp where children get to know <\/span>people different than themselves and learn to share their living space and meals with people other than family.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My children\u2019s counselors are from England, Scotland, Israel, Ireland and other places around the world.\u00a0 Campers come from different communities with families from different socio-economic backgrounds, religions and ethnicities.<\/span> 93% of campers reported that camp helped them to get to know people who are different then themselves, according to a study by the American Camp Association.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no better environment th<\/span>a<\/span>n camp to allow your child to take those first steps towards becoming a successful, <\/span>resilience and <\/span>independent <\/span>adult<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Jess Michaels<\/a> is the Director of Communications for the American Camp Association<\/a>, NY and NJ.\u00a0 She has two daughters who love every minute of the summer camp experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Like what you read? JOIN the Mommybites community<\/a> to get the latest on\u00a0FREE online classes<\/a>,\u00a0parenting advice<\/a>,\u00a0events<\/a>,\u00a0childcare listings<\/a>,\u00a0casting calls<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0raffles,<\/a>\u00a0and our\u00a0Parents With Nannies Facebook group<\/a>. SIGN UP NOW<\/a>!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While you might be planning visits to museums and outings to the park with your children this summer, I\u2019ll be sending my two girls to camp. I love my children and enjoy spending time with them, but I know I can\u2019t give them what a summer spent at camp can. I\u2019m aware that just by being with them and helping them with their daily routines, I\u2019m inadvertently taking away some of the important life skills I know they need to become successful adults.\u00a0\u00a0Here\u2019s why giving your child the gift of camp, whether day or overnight, is one of the best experiences you could provide for your children\u2019s social-emotional well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3472,"featured_media":28187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"schneps_byline":"","schneps_post_style":"","schneps_post_source":"","schneps_syndicated_read_more":"","schneps_post_source_sitename":"","schneps_post_source_shortname":"","schneps_post_source_url":"","schneps_post_source_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,41,51,60],"tags":[48,49,44],"class_list":["post-28186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moms","category-big-kid","category-dads","category-grandparents","tag-childcare","tag-development","tag-education"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/why-summer-camp-over-camp-mommy-is-beneficial-for-your-child\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Why Summer Camp over Camp Mommy is Beneficial for Your Child\u00a0","url":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/why-summer-camp-over-camp-mommy-is-beneficial-for-your-child\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/why-summer-camp-over-camp-mommy-is-beneficial-for-your-child\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-4.51.12-PM.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-4.51.12-PM.png"},"articleSection":"Moms","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jess Michaels"}],"creator":["Jess Michaels"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mommybites New York","logo":""},"keywords":["childcare","development","education"],"dateCreated":"2019-04-17T20:53:19Z","datePublished":"2019-04-17T20:53:19Z","dateModified":"2019-04-18T18:42:30Z"},"rendered":"