Ask the Mechanech:
What are ways to ensure your child has a positive and enriching summer camp experience?
Rabbi Zalman Leib Markowitz, Educational Consultant Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, responds:
The Rebbe strongly urged and encouraged that summer should be a time of continuous Torah learning and Yiras Shamayim, so choosing the right camp is the first and most important way to ensure a positive camp experience.
Practically speaking, here are a few tips:
1. Tipping Staff: Tips are important at camp. It’s best to arrange tips before summer starts. If you know your child’s teacher and counselor, give them the tip and a supportive note beforehand. This encourages collaboration for your child’s benefit. If you don’t know the staff, ask the head staff to deliver the tips once assigned.
2. Communicating with Staff: When reaching out to the camp, approach them humbly, not from a demanding perspective. Let them feel that you view them as authorities who can provide your child with something you cannot. Make them feel important and valued.
3. Preparing Your Child: Before camp, have a conversation with your child. Instead of focusing on the negatives, emphasize the positive opportunities and growth potential. It is important to mention that there may be negative elements to be alerted to. Still, focus on the positive aspects of the camp experience.
4. Contests and Incentives: Camps have contests for Mishnayos, behavior, sports, and more. Prepare for them by creating contests with children at home, in which they can win based on their own achievements (even if they don’t become the top performers in camp contests).
5. Keeping in Touch: When your child calls home, listen carefully. If you notice any signs of unhappiness, follow up with a staff member. Speak with a staff member a few times during the summer to check in on your child, while being mindful not to bother the staff too much. The more you stay in touch and show the staff that you trust them, the better it is for your child’s camp experience.
By following these guidelines, you can help ensure that, b’ezras Hashem, your child has a positive and enriching summer camp experience. May we all merit to have nachas from all of our children!
