In this season of transition, the independence, adventure, friendship and connection to the great outdoors that summer camp brings is more important than ever.
In the best of times, summer camp can be an amazing developmental and fantastically fun experience for kids. Professionally, I have seen the children and adolescents that I support therapeutically in my behavioral health work navigate these same disruptive patterns to the very things that have traditionally brought the structure and support and rhythm that is important to the development of children and families. We have launched our oldest daughter to Texas A&M, have navigated the no school, virtual school, in-person school dance with a few quarantine stints sprinkled in with our two daughters in high school, one son in middle school and youngest son in elementary. Photo courtesy Camp OTX Witnessing the StrainĪs a therapist, a behavioral health executive, a summer camp enthusiast and a mother of five, I have witnessed this strain first-hand. My husband Chris and I have walked this personally. Let’s be honest as adults, the whole thing has been emotionally and cognitively exhausting, and our children have been working this out with their own set of fears, disappointments and struggles.
Virtual school, canceled dance recitals and youth sporting events, long stints of separation from grandparents and other important figures in their lives, and a constant stream of news and information about an unprecedented event in not only their young lives but also the lives of their parents continues to take its toll.
Our children have dealt with all the pandemic has brought in real time. March 2020 to March 2021, what a year for all of us! The collective stress, uncertainty and hardship has been heavy, especially for those of us who have young, developing humans in our care.Įmpirical data on the long-term physical and mental health implications of the pandemic is still to come, yet as parents, the data of our experience is already out.
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