Los Angeles County Outdoor Science School
at Wrightwood
WHAT ABOUT HOMESICKNESS?
The American Camping Association website has a great page of advice on preventing
homesickness and working on coping strategies at home, as well as ways we will
help at outdoor school. Please click here
to read this excellent advice! Below is some advice in brief:
Parents: Even the most well-adjusted child can get homesick, so don't assume
your child is immune. Talk about homesickness and strategies for coping with
it before outdoor school, but do NOT tell your child you will pick them up
if they are homesick. This is a
recipe
for
failure.
Do
work
with
your
child
to create
positive
expectations. If you are feeling anxious, try not to let this show to your
child, as this will increase the chances they will be homesick. THEY worry
about YOU, you know! Other things you can do at home include:
working together as a family to plan, and pack;
spending practice
time away from home, such as a long weekend at a friend's house;
experimenting
with the best coping strategies during this practice separation; and
preparing pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes to bring to camp.
Students: Focus on the positive - you are going to have a great time and
learn a lot, but not if all you think about is how homesick you are. You
are only at outdoor school for 5 short days and 4 nights, make the most of
it! We will help by keeping you busy and making it fun, but you have to help,
too. We will ~not~ let you call home if you feel homesick - can you guess
why? That's right - it only makes it worse, and we want to make it better
and make this one of the best weeks of school ever! We don't want you to
miss out!
Cabin Leaders: You can help a great deal by keeping the students busy and
organized in the cabin. Have study hall times so they can finish their homework,
skit practice times so you'll have a great skit - encourage working together
and everyone's involvement! Assign buddies and rotate them if needed to break
up cliques, including moving bunks if it helps. Play games with the group,
make up songs, stories, read stories to them. Assign duties to each student
for clean up procedures. And most importantly, focus on the positive! Spend
time each day having each student share what was fun, what they learned,
what they are excited about for tomorrow. Keep them focused on those positive
experiences and that is what they will remember most!
Teachers: Prepare the students in the classroom for homesickness.
Go over policies - we won't let you call home or let your parents pick you
up just
because you are homesick. Go over coping procedures: stay busy, focus
on positive, bring pre-addressed, stamped envelopes and write home every
day.
Build up positive expectations for students. If you have students you
are concerned will be homesick, work with their parents on coping strategies
and what to say and not to say at home (no Pick-Up Deals!) Surprisingly,
having a friend in the cabin with them isn't necessarily protection against
homesickness. Even having a parent come up as a cabin leader doesn't always
help. Positive expecations, attitudes, focus, and keeping busy and involved
are the best remedies. Read this article for more
prevention and coping strategies for homesickness.
