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For many children, summer camp is one of childhood’s great adventures. It’s a place where friendships are formed, confidence grows, and memories are made around campfires, hiking trails, swimming docks, and late-night conversations in the cabin (after lights out!).
But for many families, camp also marks another important milestone: it’s the first time a child spends several days away from home.
That can be exciting. It can also be nerve-wracking.
As both a parent and a psychiatric nurse, I’ve learned that those butterflies in a child’s stomach aren’t something to fear. In fact, they often signal something much more important: growth. As trusted adult caregivers, we naturally want to protect our children from feeling uncomfortable. We want to reassure them, solve their worries, and make the anxiety disappear. That’s what love looks like.
But our goal isn’t to eliminate every anxious feeling. It’s to help children discover they can move through those feelings with confidence, knowing they’re capable, resilient, and never alone. Summer camp offers children a rare opportunity to discover something incredibly important about themselves. They learn they can try something unfamiliar, face uncertainty, solve problems independently, and come home realizing they’re stronger than they ever imagined.
That confidence grows because they discovered they could do something that once felt hard.
The adults in a young person’s life can help prepare children for that experience long before the suitcase is packed. Talk about camp with excitement. Focus on the friendships they’ll make, the activities they’ll try, and the fun they’ll have rather than dwelling on the days they’ll be away from home. Look for opportunities to practice independence before camp begins. Sleepovers with grandparents or relatives, outings with trusted adults, or allowing children to make age-appropriate decisions all help build confidence before the big adventure arrives.
It’s also important to normalize anxious feelings. Let children know that being nervous doesn’t mean they aren’t ready. It simply means they’re doing something new—and that’s true for adults, too.
A small reminder of home can also provide comfort. A favorite stuffed animal, a family photo tucked into a suitcase, or a handwritten note can offer reassurance when homesickness creeps in.
And when drop-off day arrives, remember that children often take emotional cues from the adults they love. A warm hug, words of encouragement, and a confident goodbye often do far more than a prolonged, emotional farewell.
When camp ends, celebrate more than the highlights. Whether your child climbed the rock wall, made a new friend, tried a food they thought they’d never eat, or simply made it through their first night away from home, recognize the courage it took to keep going despite feeling uncertain.
Growing up isn’t about never feeling anxious. It’s about learning that we can face those feelings, ask for support when we need it, and discover we’re stronger than we thought.
Of course, it’s important to remember that not all anxiety is the same. A few pre-camp jitters are a normal and healthy part of childhood. But if anxiety becomes persistent, overwhelming, or begins interfering with a child’s daily life, it may be time to speak with your pediatrician or a mental health professional.
For most children, though, those butterflies before camp become something else by the end of the week. They become confidence. And years later, when they tell stories about camp, they probably won’t remember how nervous they were before they left home. They’ll remember discovering just how capable they really were – and so will you.
Karyn Rossacci, DNP, MSN, NP-C, RN, CCRN, is Chief Nursing Officer for MiraVista and TaraVista Behavioral Health Centers. A board-certified nurse practitioner and the mother of two children, she combines years of clinical leadership with the everyday perspective of a parent to help families navigate children’s mental health, resilience, and emotional well-being.