A Trunk Organized Now is Hours Saved Next Summer!

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Update your trunk list now!

Now is the time to update your trunk list for next summer. Forget to put in sunscreen? Did every other camper have address labels but yours? Were none of those green socks worn? Update your camper’s trunk list now and you will give yourself a break next summer when you get ready to pack again.

First, hopefully you have the list on your computer. If not, now is a good time to start one. As your camper unpacks her trunk, listen to what she wishes she had and look at what was never used. Sure some items like a raincoat may not have been used this summer, but clearly should be included next summer regardless. But if the 100 roll of postage stamps you sent returned home nearly intact, just all gummed up, maybe you only need to send a couple dozen next summer—or just put them on the envelopes in advance.

Update the packing list AND add a note so you’ll remember that you have already updated the list. Wash and neatly fold any camp uniforms and return them to the trunk for storage if they aren’t worn during the winter. But take out of the trunk any lotions including sunscreen, shampoo, soap or anything that could leak or scent the entire contents of the trunk. If you leave the flashlight in the trunk remove the batteries. If you leave envelopes in the trunk be sure not to leave the trunk where it’s humid.

Next June when you open the trunk to pack for summer camp again, you’ll be glad that you left it cleaned out and organized.

Leaving Camp Trunks Shut. Big Mistake. Big. Huge.

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Like two porch dogs, the camp trunks lay quietly, side by side, waiting until their owners would return. I certainly wasn’t in any particular rush to open them and be greeted by an onslaught of laundry. Surely no need to immediately wash 8 pair of navy Soffee shorts, 8 striped Ts, 6 solid Ts, 2 navy blue sweatshirts, 2 beach towels, hmm, beach towels. Should I reconsider? No surely with the sun this summer they couldn’t possibly be damp.

Last summer when my girls camp home from their seven weeks away at camp, I required them to immediately open their trunks and pull everything out. After the rainiest summer I could remember, I knew the contents would be a wonderful breeding ground for mildew. The summer before that, the campers were sent home with “Welcome Your Child Home” letters that included a warning that there had been a substantial outbreak of lice during the final week of camp—charming—their suggestion was to immediately wash and/or freeze the contents of the trunks. So we dutifully emptied the trunk of its contents more or less pouring everything directly into the washing machine.

Then came the summer of 2010—endless days of sunshine, only a minor outbreak of lice, no food stored away in trunks. I thought we could just put the trunks aside for a few days, chill, not stress over unpacking. And we did. Remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she returns to the original store that wouldn’t serve her? Big Mistake. Big. Huge? Well, that was my reaction when I opened the trunks 4 days later. That nagging notion that the towels could indeed be damp? I had neglected to take into account that in such a beautiful summer of sun, of course a dip on the final day of camp would be in order. Where better to put a dripping wet suit and the accompanying towel but in the top of a trunk before shutting the lid? Big Mistake. Big. Huge!

End of Camp Transitions

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The day to pick up your daughter from camp has finally arrived! You wake up early, getting ready to go like it’s your first day of school, finding the car keys and hitting the road in time to arrive precisely at 9 am. You can’t keep the smile off your face as you eagerly anticipate the big hug when you see her, all the stories she will want to share, and getting ready for your family vacation together. So when you step out of your car at camp and she’s nowhere in sight you’re a bit let down, but not too much, she probably just needed to run back to her cabin for a forgotten towel. Looking around you see clumps of girls, a few smiles, a lot of tears, lots of cameras and group hugs as other parents load up their cars with trunks and sleeping bags and the accumulations of a summer at camp. Ah ha! You spot her coming through the pines arm in arm with another girl, laughing together! You wave to her, she spots you and immediately her laughter stops, her shoulders slump and she says something quietly to her friend. Are those tears you see building in her eyes? Tears of joy at seeing you? Likely not if she has enjoyed her time at camp.

If your daughter has spent previous happy summers at camp, then you likely recognize bits and pieces of this scenario as they have played out in your life on camp pick up day. We all hope our children find companionship, independence and confidence in their lives. Yet we still sigh as we watch our children achieving these milestones without us.

Balancing your need for interaction with your daughter’s need for transition is not easy. Here are some suggestions I have received from camp parents over the years.

• Give her space and time to say her good-byes, but don’t prolong the parting. Just as when you dropped her off, better not to linger excessively
• Let her stay quiet in the car, play her favorite radio station and don’t try to start a conversation
• Have a new magazine or two waiting at home for her
• Have a few outings in mind, but let her have several days at home before departing for a family vacation. This is helpful not only because she needs the downtime, but also because her immune system may have gone into overload the last few days at camp with little sleep and high stress. So give her time to recharge
• Similarly, no need to have the hair cut, orthodontist appointment and eye exam all on the day she returns from camp
• Other than the wet towels and bathing suits which may mildew in her trunk, give her the time and space to unpack as she’s ready
• Have meals at home— perhaps make her favorite dinner or dessert

• Have lots of fresh fruit on hand—a variety of fresh fruit isn’t always available at camp
• Let her sleep!
• Ask her to join you and her siblings in a card game or other game she enjoys, but don’t pester her if she chooses to pass
• Listen to the stories she wants to share rather than trying to guide the conversation to the questions you want answered

Given the time and space she needs to transition she will return to her place in the family—perhaps with more confidence, new skills and greater cooperation.

If you have picked up a daughter from camp, what has worked well in your family getting ready for pick up or in the first few days home?

Easy Care Packages

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The thrill of seeing your name on the package list or the anticipation of pulling open the package can be the highlight of mail time at camp. Often it doesn’t matter what is in the securely taped box, just who it is addressed to. Some camps have a strict no packages policy and those that allow packages have rules on what can and cannot be included. Many camps restrict food of any kind from pretzels to gum. So it’s important to check with the camp before putting together a care package for your camper.

If the camp does allow packages, remember that it’s the excitement of receiving the package usually more than the contents that has the biggest impact on a camper. Often I have heard my daughters say, “Auntie sent me a package!”, but rarely have I heard them specifically mention any contents by name.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started many of which can be found at convenience or drug stores:

• Silly Bands—THE hot item for summer camps 2010
• Activity books (word puzzles, brain teasers)
• Stickers
• Comic books
• Magazines
• Thread for friendship bracelets
• A cute water bottle (wash it out first as it’s doubtful your camper will)
• A deck of cards
• New stationary or note cards
• Photos you printed out from your visit
• A small stuffed animal
• A sploosh ball, frisbee or other small toy

The easiest way to mail a package is with the postal service’s Priority Mail flat rate box or envelope if all of your items are flat. After you purchased your gifts, pick up a box (or large flat envelope) at the post office to send them. Check www.usps.gov for sizes and rates.

If you have the time, it’s fun to receive a package with the contents in colorful wrap—use tissue or glossy magazine pages to wrap up small items individually. Affix post-it notes with fun messages, riddles or knock knock jokes to each item. Number the items in the order they should be opened to make the entire process an activity. Regardless of how the package is sent, it will be a treat to be received.

What ideas do you have for camp care packages?