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wish famili

Ready, Set

How to know when your child
is ready for day camp.

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor

A

t 4 years old, Ryan Bandalene of Sylvan
Lake has been there, done that — and
can't wait to do it again.
Last year, Ryan attended Temple
Israel's Camp Shemesh for the first time. His par-
ents chose the camp as a natural extension of his
experience at Temple Israel's nursery.
"He goes to the nursery, does well, interacts
well and has a lot of friends," says Ryan's father,
Stuart. "Camp was only the next step."
Ryan loved camp. Maybe it was all those water
days and games and arts and crafts.
Ryan's parents loved camp, too. Stuart
Bandalene explains: "It's because the staff is won-
derful, which makes a parent feel comfortable."
Sending your child off to day camp can be a
harrowing experience. They look so little, yet they
want to get out in the world. One minute they're
jumping up and down — they're so excited for an
adventure. The next minute they're crying, "Don't
leave me!"
How, then, is a parent to know if camp is a
good option, or if it's best if a young son or
daughter stays home?
Barbara Katchke is director and head teacher of
the Gan Shalom Early Childhood Program at
Congregation Beth Shalom. One of the aspects of
Gan Shalom that she thinks works well for chil-
dren is its flexibility.
Gan Shalom, for children 2 1 /2 to 4 1 /2 , meets.
every weekday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (bagged
lunch is optional from 11:30 to noon). Parents
can sign up for any number of options for their
children, from two days a week to longer, for one
week or more.
"For young children, camp is a good place to

get started in the world, especially if
they will be going to school in the
fall with the same kids," Katchke
says. "Camps offer children a lot of
room to stretch and grow. They're
just learning to trust adults other
than their parents, as well as learn-
ing how to feel comfortable separat-
Jack Lefkowitz buries himself at Beth Shalom's day camp.
ed from their parents."

Reluctant Camper

What makes camp a good choice for children
learning to be on their own? "It's safe, has excel-
lent trained staff and and it's fun."
•
Katchke, a former kindergarten teacher, says
this new environment allows children to develop
in many ways. "Camp offers a lot of choices
embellished with music, movement, dramatic
play, art, outdoor experiences, yoga" and, in the
case of Beth Shalom, a mini putt-putt course.
Most kids are crazy about camp. But not every
one.
Katchke says that those children who opt out of
camp — either before it starts or during the expe-
rience — should be respected.
"If there's too much anxiety it's not going to do
the child any good to go to camp," Katchke says.
"If a child can't separate, a parent shouldn't push
it. What's the hurry?
"These are perfectly normal kids. Camp just
isn't for them. Sometimes, it's just great to be at
home with Mommy."
Parents unsure of how children will do at camp
might want to give it a try before signing up for
an entire summer, she says. They also shouldn't be
overly concerned about stress that may come at
the start of the experience.
"Parents should not worry too much about the

initial separation anxiety exhibited by their child
at the start of the child's camp experience,"
Katchke says. "Many children juiltp right in once
they have gotten into all of the activities."
Katchke recommends that parents consider the
following when deciding whether to send their
son or daughter to camp:
• Does the child generally get along well with
other children his or her age?
• Does the child interact with others?
• Does the child engage in parallel play with
other children (playing side by side, not necessari-
ly together, which is typical,for young children)?
• Can the child entertain him or herself for
brief periods of time?
• If the child attends day care, how does he or
she manage there? This often is a good way to
judge how the child will — or will not — enjoy
camp.
• Even if your child is hesitant, does he or she
seem to really want to give camp a try? If so, be
encouraging.

Consistency

Like. Barbara Katchke, Michaelyn Silverman says
camp at Temple Emanu-El can be summed up in

READY SET Go? on page 34

