I hope so, because the many opportunities for you and the day camp staff to share information can greatly improve the positive impact that a day camp has on your child.
The Best Day Camps Encourage Parent Communication. Rest assured that there are a great many day camps where the director and the whole staff encourage parent communication. The popular slogan has become “Partners with Parents”. Some camps “talk the talk” and some really “walk the walk”. You are the best judge of what is best for your child.
Ask Questions Before Signing Up. You should be able to get a very good idea how the day camp conducts parent communication as you select a day camp for your child. You should have several opportunities to meet the director and staff during the months before camp. Camp presentations, camp fairs, open houses, camp tours and other such events are a great time to evaluate both the director and day camp staff. You can view some of the opportunities we offer to new Roughing It Day Camp parents and families at: Learn More About Roughing It Day Camp. You should feel free to ask the director about their availability and receptiveness to your calls. You should also ask other parents who have sent their children to the camp about the opportunities for communication with the director.
The Camp Owner & Director Should Always be Available to Camper Parents. You should always be able to call and talk to the director or senior administrator. This should be true before the summer begins and during the summer. The director’s secretary is NOT an acceptable alternative. It is also very important in larger camps that both the director AND the owners be available.
Sometimes Your Child’s Counselor is the Best Person to Speak With. Sometimes it may be better to speak directly to your child’s counselor or activity instructor and the camp director should still be available if further discussion is needed. At Roughing It Day Camp campers participate in their activities with their camper group and their group counselor is always present with the group for activities. This means that it is often best to talk with the group counselor concerning things that happened at camp or about things that happened between campers because the group counselor was there when it took place. You are always encouraged to call Ann or Hobie or Amy if you were not completely satisfied with what the group counselor said or if you need another perspective.
The Camp’s Website Should Provide Information Encouraging Communication. Most camps will post a section on their website that encourages parents to call and will provide specific information to make the communication easier on both the camp and parents. You can view the Roughing It Day Camp parent communication section by clicking: Day Camp Parent Communication.
Communication Should Work Both Ways – Keep the Camp Informed. It is always best for camper parents to share all the information that the day camp staff will need to make your child’s camp experience successful. Information on your child’s health, behavior, personality and past experiences greatly help the director and summer camp staff in working with your child.
You too need to be a partner with the camp!
