{"id":7453,"date":"2025-05-13T17:01:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T17:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/?p=7453"},"modified":"2025-11-12T23:50:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T23:50:00","slug":"should-my-child-go-to-sleepaway-camp-with-a-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/should-my-child-go-to-sleepaway-camp-with-a-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Should My Child Go to Sleepaway Camp with a Friend?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Sleepaway Camp with a Friend?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a great question, and the answer really depends on what you want your child to gain from the camp experience \u2014 as well as their personality and comfort level. Here are the pros and cons of each option:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Pros and Cons of Going to Summer Camp with Friends<\/h3>\n<h4><b>Pros:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Comfort and Security:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Having familiar faces around can ease the transition into camp life, especially for first-time campers or kids prone to homesickness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Built-in Social Circle:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Your child will already have a set of friends in place and a convenient group to connect with.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increased Confidence to Try New Things:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Having a friend may give your child the added courage to try new activities they might otherwise avoid alone.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Shared Memories:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Attending camp with a friend can strengthen their bond and create lifelong memories together.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Easier Transition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Kids may settle in faster and be less anxious when they know someone from home is with them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Cons:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limited Social Growth:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Your child may stick closely to their friend instead of branching out and making new friends. This can prevent them from developing strong social skills or expanding their social circle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dependence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Kids may become reliant on their friend and struggle if their friend is placed in a different cabin, makes other friends, or has a different schedule.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Friendship Drama:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0There\u2019s always the possibility of disagreements, jealousy, or cliques forming, which can cause tension and make camp less enjoyable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Missed Opportunity for Independence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0One of the key benefits of camp is gaining independence and learning how to navigate new environments \u2014 something that\u2019s harder to achieve with a friend as a crutch.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='c-btn-wrapper align-center'><a href='https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.campbrainregistration.com\/?_ga=2.1933746.2022117395.1746155590-1787049354.1709748638' class='c-btn c-btn-primary c-btn-color-normal' target='_blank'><span>Register Your Child Today<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7618 size-full-width-block\" src=\"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-1092x728.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1092\" height=\"728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-1092x728.jpg 1092w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-920x613.jpg 920w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0776-1-546x364.jpg 546w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1092px) 100vw, 1092px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Pros and Cons of Going to Summer Camp Alone<\/h3>\n<h4><b>Pros:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Personal Growth:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Attending camp alone can build resilience, independence, and problem-solving skills. It forces your child to step out of their comfort zone and figure things out on their own.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Social Growth:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Without a built-in friend, your child is more likely to meet new people and develop strong social skills. They\u2019ll learn how to introduce themselves, form new friendships, and find their place in a new environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Blank Slate:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Without pre-existing friendships, your child can redefine themselves. They won\u2019t be known as someone&#8217;s &#8220;best friend&#8221; or &#8220;little brother\/sister.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Increased Confidence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Successfully navigating a new environment without a safety net often leads to a huge boost in self-confidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>New Adventures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Your child may be more open to trying new activities or stepping outside their comfort zone when they\u2019re not concerned about what their friend thinks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Cons:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Initial Discomfort:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The first day might be a little more challenging for shy or anxious kids.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Homesickness May Feel More Intense:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Without the comfort of a familiar friend, homesickness may feel a little stronger in the first day or so.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Longer Adjustment Period:<\/b>\u00a0Your child might worry that it will take longer to find their &#8220;group&#8221; and feel comfortable at camp, but camps with experienced counselors are sources of comfort, and most campers make new best friends within hours of arrival.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Should My Child Go to Summer Camp Alone or with Friends?<\/h4>\n<p><b>If your child is naturally outgoing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0and adjusts to new environments easily, going to camp alone can be an incredible growth experience. They\u2019ll develop independence, social confidence, and resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If your child tends to be shy, anxious, or younger<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, attending camp with a friend might make the transition easier and ensure they have a positive first camp experience. However, it\u2019s important to encourage them to make new friends, too.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sleepaway Camp with a Friend? This is a great question, and the answer really depends on what you want your child to gain from the camp experience \u2014 as well as their personality and comfort level. Here are the pros and cons of each option: Pros and Cons of Going to Summer Camp with Friends [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-camp"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Should You Go to Sleepaway Camp with Friends?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is a great question, and the answer really depends on what you want your child to gain from the camp experience, as well as their comfort level.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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