Homesick and Happy

April 2, 2012
Thompson, a clinical psychologist and parenting expert (The Pressured Child), was motivated to study kids and sleep-away camp not only by his own childhood but also by “a growing body of troubling conversation with educators and parents.” The former were having difficulty getting permission for kids to attend overnight school trips; the latter were becoming increasingly unwilling to part with their children, or they chose academic or skills camp over those that focused on character development. As a child psychologist, Thompson also noticed that kids seemed increasingly emotionally fragile and overly dependent on parental guidance. But despite the rising anxiety of parents, the author asserts, the benefits of camp are many, including the fact that kids may make developmental leaps when removed from their parents’ watchful eyes. Campers, Thompson observes, have an opportunity to live for a brief time in a magical, electronics-free, natural environment; to forge new friendships, develop leadership skills, explore choices and opportunities not available at school; and excel in ways that increase self-esteem. Even those kids who are homesick develop resilience and gain from the experience. While noting that not every child has a love affair with camp, Thompson—who visited 19 camps primarily in the northeast during his research—concludes that the vast majority of children are positively affected by sleep-away camp. This incisive “fireside view” of summer camp also includes practical tips and advice for fretful parents. Agent: Gail Ross.

April 1, 2012
Child psychologist and school consultant Thompson (It's a Boy!: Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18, 2008, etc.) discusses the role summer camps can play in providing a safe environment for a child's growth toward independence. The author suggests that the tendency of parents to micromanage their children's lives is counterproductive. "The impulse to protect all of your child's feelings is completely natural," he writes. "The problem is that the ideal is unachievable, even undesirable." He emphasizes that "the goal of childhood is to grow up" and "almost all adolescents want full independence from adults." In his opinion--based on his own childhood experiences at camp and his work as a consultant and former board member of the American Camp Association--summer camps offer a supervised, safe experience for children to deal with separation issues and homesickness, and parents to deal with their own separation anxieties. "[C]amp is a psychological experience" where a child can meet new people, face new challenges and learn the rules of a new community while discovering things about themselves that could never have been learned staying at home with mom and dad. As part of his research, the author visited 19 camps and interviewed campers, counselors and their parents. Thompson describes the wide variety of experiences they offer--sports, nature, pursuit of the arts--and gives examples of camps devoted to special-needs children. He emphasizes the stability, happiness and trust provided by these structured environments. A useful guide for parents.

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Starred review from November 15, 2012

Ever consider sending the kids away in an effort to make them loving, productive, moral, and independent young adults? School psychologist Thompson (It's a Boy!: Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18) makes a strong case for the tradition of sleepaway camp and examines how time away from parents can be one of the most productive and formative experiences of childhood. He argues that children feel in charge of their own growth at camp and illustrates how children will interpret their experiences through a parent's reaction as long as a parent is present. Parents who orchestrate their child's connections with others only confirm a child's sense of incompetence. He examines how this "Golden Age of Parental Attention" is undermining kids' sense of accomplishment, and extols the benefits of camp rituals, such as shared meals, electronic-free activities, and a multigenerational community. VERDICT While this could have come across as a nostalgic plot summary for the good ol' days, the text is embedded in today's realities and is forward-thinking in approach. Highly recommended for all collections.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.