Summer Camp Jitters or Something More?

As summer progresses, many families look forward to camp as a chance for kids to build independence, make new friends, and create lasting memories. But for some children, excitement about camp is eclipsed by worry. It is common for kids to feel nervous before a new experience. Meeting unfamiliar people, sleeping away from home, trying new activities, and navigating a different routine can bring up uncertainty and nervousness for many kids. A few butterflies before camp are often a normal part of stepping outside one’s comfort zone. But sometimes parents wonder whether what they are seeing is more than typical nerves. Is this just summer camp jitters, or could anxiety be playing a larger role?

A clue that anxiety may have become a problem is when the distress starts to interfere with daily life, or seems much bigger than would be expected in the situation. Many children feel nervous before camp.  However, a child struggling with anxiety may spend weeks asking repetitive questions, experience sleepless nights, complain of stomachaches, or become tearful whenever camp is mentioned. They may seem unable to stop thinking or talking about all the things that could go wrong. Another sign is when anxiety starts driving avoidance behaviors. A child may insist they cannot attend camp or refuse to talk about camp or participate in camp activities. 

Many children who struggle with anxiety are not worried only about camp itself. Camp simply becomes the latest situation where anxiety shows up. A child who worries about separation may become distressed at the thought of sleeping in a cabin away from their parents. A child who fears making mistakes may worry about trying new activities. A child who struggles with social anxiety may spend weeks worrying about whether other campers will like them. Parents can support children by leading with curiosity and asking what they are worried about. Take a moment to validate what they are feeling. Validation does not mean agreeing that something bad will happen. It means acknowledging that their fear feels real to them and makes sense, given the context. Simple responses like, "That makes sense," or, "I can see why you're feeling nervous," help children feel understood before you begin working through the worry together. 

From there, you can remind them of other situations they have handled successfully in the past and help them identify coping skills to use. It can also help to focus less on whether anxiety shows up and more on how the child will respond if it does. For example, instead of saying, "Don't worry, you won't get homesick," a parent might say, "It's possible you'll miss home sometimes. If that happens, what are some things you can do to help yourself get through it?" This small shift teaches children that uncomfortable feelings are not emergencies, they are experiences that can be managed.

It is also important to remember that confidence rarely comes before new experiences. Many parents hope their child will feel ready before camp begins. In reality, confidence often develops afterward. Children build confidence by doing hard things, discovering they can tolerate discomfort, and learning that anxiety does not have to make decisions for them.

A trap to avoid is providing excessive reassurance. When a child asks the same worried question again and again, the urge to answer it one more time comes from a genuine desire to help them feel better. But repeated reassurance can strengthen anxiety over time. Anxiety craves certainty, and it convinces children that they need a guarantee before they can handle something hard. A more helpful message is, "It's ok that you’re feeling scared. I’m confident you can handle it." This acknowledges that anxiety is showing up while reinforcing the child's ability to cope.

If anxiety is significantly interfering with daily life, causing intense distress, leading to avoidance across multiple situations, or is persisting over time, it may be helpful to seek support from a mental health professional. For many kids, though, those pre-camp nerves are not a sign that something is wrong. They are a sign that a child is about to do something new, challenging, and meaningful. And often, the very experiences that make children nervous are the same ones that help them discover just how capable they really are.