The Salvation Army Shares Tips for Parents Sending Kids to Summer Camp.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Preparation for the start of the summer season is underway at The Salvation Army's Camp Redwood Glen in Scotts Valley and camp directors advise parents to take equal care in preparing their children for the experience. Last year, more than 1,800 people attended Salvation Army summer and day camps in the San Francisco Bay Area through the Central Valley. Many were urban, underprivileged children experiencing crickets, campfires, and an escape from city streets for the first time. Most attended camp with the help of a Salvation Army camp scholarship.

Mark Morton, camp director for The Salvation Army's Camp Redwood Glen, founded in 1946, has prepared ten tips for parents sending their child to camp for the first time.

A[micro]   1. Arrange for your child to stay with a grandparent or friend for
       a night or two. This way, your son or daughter can experience
       what it is like to sleep somewhere new and different.

A[micro]   2. Make sure your child can manage basic personal hygiene such as
       brushing teeth, changing clothes and bathing. Bed-wetting
       should not preclude a child from attendance at camp; however,
       the camp staff needs to be aware of the issue so that
       appropriate arrangements can be made and to ensure the
       camper's dignity is protected.

A[micro]   3. During the weeks leading up to camp, take time to share your
       own camp stories and memories with your child to build
       excitement and anticipation for camp. If possible, pull out
       old camp photos or scrapbooks for your kids to look at.

A[micro]   4. Do not schedule a significant family event while your child
       will be away at camp. No child wants to be away at camp while
       the rest of the family goes on a fun family vacation or has a
       special celebration.

A[micro]   5. Develop a checklist of items needed for camp (or get one from
       the camp) and work with your child to get everything together.
       Call the camp if there are items that you cannot secure for
       your camper. It is not necessary to buy a lot of new gear;
       most camps will have extra supplies or resources that will
       ensure that each camper arrives at his or her cabin with all
       the essentials to have a successful week at camp.

A[micro]   6. Mark the first day of camp on the family calendar. Together
       with your child, mark each day off during the week prior to
       camp and spend a time talking about what a great experience it
       will be.

A[micro]   7. Write your child a couple of letters and pack the sealed
       envelopes in their luggage a day or two before they leave for
       camp. Tell your son or daughter they can open them while they
       are away at camp. It's also equally important that you write a
       letter and send it through the mail. "Mail Call" is always a
       big event at camp and every child loves to get mail from home.

A[micro]   8. Pack paper, postcards and stamps so that your child can write
       to you.

A[micro]   9. Encourage your child to have a "backyard sleep out" by pitching
       a tent in your backyard. This will give your son or daughter
       the freedom to navigate through their feelings of anxiety,
       curiosity, and excitement within the safety and security of
       their own home. Also, consider going to the library and
       checking out a kid's book about summer camp and read it
       together by the light of your flashlight in the tent.

A[micro]   10. When you arrive with your child at camp, make a point of
        meeting and connecting with the camp staff so your child can
        see that you are interested in, and trust the people that will
        be caring for them.

For more information on The Salvation Army activities in San Francisco and Central California and Camp Redwood Glen, visit us online at: www.tsagoldenstate.org.