I think my daughter is getting nervous about camp

[MoniqueU]

She is driving me nuts.
I got her the wrong kind of toothbrush, she doesn't like the sample size shampoos, her jeans are all suddenly missing. I put her in what to me was a pretty pricey equestrian camp and now she is not sure she wants to ride everyday. EXCUSE ME. This place is all about hourseback riding it is based on a wild west themed campground.

I am having a small nervous breakdown.
Oh yes and she wants me to shrink her socks too.

I think she is just nervous and doesnt want to admit it but man has she got my stomach in knots. It is hard to reasure someone who won't admit they are nervous.

 

[chell]

 

[Bbgrizzle]

Yep, she's nervous. But that does not excuse her behavior. Don't stress over it. Once she gets there and makes friends, she'll have a wonderful time and you'll be glad she went. For now, if she wants to stress over the wrong shampoo and all that, let HER worry about it.

 

[MoniqueU]

Thanks BB you nailed in on the head. It's her worries. It is just hard for me as a parent not to take them on. We did go back out and get the correct stufr, I think that is helping her ease her mind. IF she can just control the little stuff like shampoos and toothbrushes the other stuff won't seem so much as overwhelming I guess.

I have a son at camp right now who just followed instructions on what to pack and I haven't heard from him in a few days so he must be having a blast. I pick him up tomorrow. I wish he would call.

 

[Bbgrizzle]

It's hard when they go to camp, you just want them to have a great time. Good point about her trying to control the little things because she has no control over the unknown.

I can tell you are a good mom and that you love your kids a lot. Do you send them care packages at camp too? I love to send my girls stuff while they are gone, so they know they are loved and missed. My girls just go to Y-camp, since that's all we can afford, but they love it.

P.S. Tell me about your eyebrows.

 

[MoniqueU]

I am going to send her a care package and some pony bucks which she can use at the camp store.

My eyebrows, I thought I would be real cool and wax them with nair when I was in Jr high. The stuff smeared all over. I ended up with 2 chemical burns for eyebrows for over a month and had to lie to all my friends about what happened. I told them the wax at the salon got too hot. LOL

 

[Bbgrizzle]

My eyebrows, I thought I would be real cool and wax them with nair when I was in Jr high. The stuff smeared all over. I ended up with 2 chemical burns for eyebrows for over a month and had to lie to all my friends about what happened. I told them the wax at the salon got too hot. LOL

 

[debster812]

How old is she? Has she ever been away to camp before? She may not even realize she's nervous, and this is how it's manifesting itself.

I know DS (age 9) gets unbearable sometimes when he is a little nervous about new experiences, and he can't always verbalize what he's feeling.

Good Luck!!!!!!

DS starts his 3rd year of Y Camp (day camp) on Monday, and he's feeling pretty cocky about it, since he's an 'old timer' now

 

[MoniqueU]

She is 9, 10 in december. No she has never been to camp, day or sleepaway before. She begged me to go to this camp last year and I thought she was just a bit too young. I relented this year when her brother got to go to football camp. I am definite it is nerves. She just needs to get there and get into the groove of it and she will be fine.

My youngest didn't want to do sleepaway camp and starts her first Y daycamp on Monday. She is excited about it I think. To her it is all about playing.

 

[AC7179]

I hope she has a fabulous time!

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I was a camp counselor for three years in high school and loved it. I also went to camp every summer from the age of 5 until I became a counselor.

My girls were all second- and third-graders. I watched the ones who didn't immediately pair up with other girls and took them on as my "assistants." The assistants eventually paired up as well. I always had my ladies stow their gear on their bunks before I would even let them unpack, and we'd do some bonding exercises. This way, nobody got to see anybody's else's stuff before they determined whether or not they liked them.

Sounds like your DD is trying to fit in and is subconsciously worried about being away from Mom and Dad at the same time -- not a cool combo. You might try tucking small notes into places only she would find -- inside her pillowcase, tucked into an extra pair of socks, inside her soap holder, etc... My mom did this for me while I was away at swim camp once. It made my WHOLE day better.

 

[Buckalew11]

My DD is away at camp this week for the first time . She comes home tomorrow and I can't wait to see her. Surprisingly, she wasn't nervous. I have received 2 letters and she thinks "Camp is Great!" and is having a blast. Phew. I worried all week til I received the note yesterday. They aren't allowed to call home.

Good luck to your DD. I hope she has a wonderful camp experience.

 

[golfgal]

She sounds like my oldest when he gets nervous about something. I usually just talk to him about how things 'work' for what ever it is and that helps. When he went to camp the first time I would talk to him about how his day would most likely go--they will wake you up, everyone gets dressed/ready for the day then they walk you down to breakfast, it's a buffet line so you get to pick and choose what you eat, etc., etc. That really helps him. His first year at camp I was really nervous for him because he didn't know anyone else that was going and he is on the shy side. They make the kids call home part way through the week and the conversation went like this "Hi Mom, I am coming back next year. I gotta go, bye".

Our twins went to camp for the first time this year. DD went with 5 friends from school so she was fine. DS went with DS13 who had been going for the previous 3 years so they were fine too. They all had a blast! One of the counselors for the boys' camp lives about a block down the street from our new house, small world!