1. How to I get my child ready for the camp experience? BE POSITIVE! The experience begins at home with you. Let your child know how excited you are for them and their new experience. Help your child understand the time period that they will be at camp. Do not tell your child that they may come home if they don’t like it. If you do, you are instilling the idea that commitments can be broken and you take away commitment on your part and on the camper’s part, as well. We know you want to your child to succeed in whatever they try. Your child should be ready and willing to accept his or her complete stay at camp with trust, a willingness to change, grow and to become more independent.

2. What can I expect on Opening Day of camp? Check in is between 10am and 2pm. You will check your child in at the registration table where your child will get their mug and you will receive a copy of the evening program schedule and general information. You will also get your child’s cabin assignment, which is done by age and grade. You will meet your child’s counselor, the director and assistant director and last but not least meet with the camp nurse. After completing checking in, the counselor will walk with your child to the cabin and you will drive to the cabin to help get your child settled in. Then it is time to give them a hug and a kiss and say good-bye. The longer you stay the harder it gets for you both. Please leave dogs at home.

3. How do I deal with my child missing home? Yes, some children do experience missing home and it is perfectly normal. Some parents get “camp sick”! You have been their wonderful providers and it is all new and different. We are very in tune with watching for and caring for those who experience missing home. We acknowledge their feelings and are sympathetic but we do not encourage it. Helping your child to adjust is a team effort at camp. It has been our experience that campers want to tell their parents much more about the difficult aspects of their new camp life rather than their new friends and adventures. Please realize that to campers you are their confidant, which is a wonderful thing. Your child wants someone to know how hard it all is. To us, they want to appear brave and may not confide any negative feelings, again perfectly normal. They cannot see their own growth but we can and are always willing to share with you. Last but not least, they truly miss you and worry that you are not okay without them. It is so important in your letters, faxes and possibly phone calls to stay positive in your conversation. Please don’t tell them that “the dog can’t sleep”, “the cat cries all day” or you are so sad without them. I can tell you that the only children that have gone home because of missing home were because they were not encouraged to adjust. Please let your child grow and spread their wings. What a blessing for them to realize that they can complete something that may not be easy for them. Please trust that we are caring for and nurturing your child through this adjustment and will not let them be miserable. We want your child to have the most exciting and memorable experience possible.

4. What is the policy on visiting? While we would never stop you from coming for a visit, we do not encourage it. We have found that it can be very disruptive to your child’s experience as well as that of other campers. We encourage you to experience and observe camp through letters, the photos posted on our website, the blog and conversations with camp administration. Your child will share all their camp experiences with you at the end of the session and probably for days or even months after getting back home! If you feel you absolutely must visit, please call the camp office and arrange it with co-directors.

5. Can I call my camper? While we do not recommend calling your camper, if you feel you must speak with your child, we do allow calls during mealtimes beginning the first Wednesday of each session. The reason we do not encourage calls is not to keep you in the dark but to ensure your campers positive experience. You don’t know how many times we witness very happy campers suddenly becoming very sad. It is not because they are having a bad time but everything about you and home comes rushing forward—the distance, missing you, insecurity, being on their own—all the resistive forces of change that they have been overcoming. Please note that you are not guaranteed to get through. We do not accept calls for campers after meals are over. Your camper is out of the Lasso Lodge and on to their next adventure. Please know you are more than welcome to call the office to discuss your camper. We love talking with parents about their child’s experience. WE DO NOT ALLOW CELL PHONES FOR CAMPERS!

6. May I write the camper? Campers love receiving mail at camp. It is a link to home and to you. We deliver mail to the cabins Monday through Saturday after lunch. You cannot believe the excitement that comes from getting a letter or card at camp. Please encourage friends and family to write to your camper, as well. They furnish the security of knowing everything is all right at home and with you. It is helpful to keep your notes positive. Discussing problems at home or over emphasizing how much you miss them can produce anxiety for your child. If you receive a troubling correspondence from your child, please feel free to contact us so that we can help. Writing home is at the discretion of the camper. Please supply them with the materials needed. When writing your camper please include your child’s name and cabin assignment in the address. Our address is P.O. Box 888 Lake Wales, FL 33859- 0888.

If you have questions that are not answered here please contact us at 863-676-4113.