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Dealing with a negative reaction

If your child goes to camp and comes home unhappy:

• Double-check to make sure something is not seriously wrong with the camp. If not, give it a few days before making the decision to pull him or her out. The "dislike" could simply be fear of the unknown.

• Be encouraging and don't allow your own apprehensions to be detected by the child. With some camps open to kids as young as 4, it's often the parents who are fearful.

• If the problem turns out to be an activity issue, talk to the directors. In larger organizations, the child can sometimes be placed in a different camp without much hassle.

• Get the directors involved. "We want to make camp a successful experience," says Sarah Byrom of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. "That's our job to see that it happens."
– Darla Atlas / Special Contributor

Published in The Dallas Morning News: 04.08.05