Measuring Stick

How do you know when your child's
ready to go to sleepaway camp?

USA BRODY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

they express an interest in go-
ing, it's time," she says. A
great way to expose them to
an overnight camp experience
is through family camps.
Tamarack's weekend family
camp programs offer children
a chance to see what camp is
all about while attending with
their parents.
"I knew my son was ready
because he asked to go," says
Adrienne Ruby of West
Bloomfield of son Eric, now
14. He first attended Camp

Tanuga at 9 1/2. This year he
will attend Camp Tamakwa in
Canada. Ryan Orley, 9, of
West Bloomfield, is very en-
thusiastic about returning to
Camp Ramah in Canada this
summer for four weeks. Last
year, he attended a one-week
mini-session.
"The year before last, he
said he wanted to go some-
place, but not for more than
two weeks, and when Ramah
came up, we went to the pro-
motional meeting and found it

two weeks the summer after
first grade, when she was
turning 7. She did absolutely
fine, and wanted to extend. I
wouldn't let her.
"For Stephanie, camp was
never a problem. She viewed
was a good blend of the things
it
more as a problem I had."
we were looking for," says
And that, camp directors ac-
Ryan's mom, Harriett Orley.
knowledge,
is often the case.
"He has a lot of older cousins
Frequently, children are ready
who had been going away to
to
head off with a couple of
camp for so long, it was a nat-
large
duffle bags before we're
ural progression for him."
ready to pack them off.
Linda Aviv's daughter,
"Often, parents are con-
Stephanie Etkin, 14, had older
cerned about the kid going,
cousins who went to camp,
and
being on their own," says
and at the age of 4 announced
Mr. Cohn of Camp Maple-
that she wanted to go too.
hurst. "There are also greater
"Of course, she didn't go
fears
in general in today's soci-
then," says Mrs. Aviv, of Birm-
ety,
and
kids are often 10 or
ingham. "But she did go for
11 before parents are ready to
let them go."
Camp is a
Larry Stevens, owner of
positive for
Camp
Walden in Cheboygan,
Brittany, Janet
and Lauren
says, "You have to ask your-
Karson.
self, as a parent, is the young-
ster ready to live in a group?
Are they ready to manage?"
And what about the child
who is hesitant? When is it
time to push, rather than just
encourage them to go to
camp?
"The right age depends on
the child," advises Mr.
Stevens. "Some children going
into second grade are fine;
others are 10 or 11 and hav-
ing difficulty."
Friedman of Camp Tanu-
ga concurs. "We often have a
harder time with kids who are

-

PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT

I

t's still the middle of
winter, but everyone
you know is making
plans for their chil-
dren to leave their finely
feathered nests and head
to overnight camp. And
your child is begging you
to go as well.
How do you know if the
time really is right to let them
go?
"If the child simply says he
wants to go away, that is the
strongest indicator he's ready,"
says Laurence Cohn, owner of
Camp Maplehurst in Ke-
wadin.
"Relate it to how well they
do at sleepovers with friends
and relatives," advises Sid
Friedman, owner of Camp
Tanuga in Kalkaska. In other
words, if every time your child
sleeps out you get a call at 11
p.m. to come and get them,
chances are they're not ready
to head to overnight camp.
"How independent they are in
school, sports, clubs and activ-
ities are all a good indicator of
how well they will do at
camp," says Mr. Friedman.
"I often rely on the par-
ents," says Susie Zaks, assis-
tant director of Tamarack
Camps. If the children have
an older sibling who goes to
camp, if the younger child
asks to go too, if they sleep at
friends' homes — all are good
indicators of readiness.
"We feel it's a good idea to
expose kids to camp, and if

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