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Every child is different but there are some guidelines and signposts you can look for when making this decision. The first is simple: What does your son say? If you talk with him about it and he is excited and wants to do it then that is a great sign. Obviously, not every child will come right out and enthusiastically declare that he is ready. Just because he isn’t jumping up and down about camp doesn’t mean he’s not ready. Here are some more signs.
If your son has spent the night away from you on more than one occasion (even just with grandparents) then that is a great sign that he is ready for camp. His performance in school is another good indicator for young boys (1st – 2nd grade). If his teacher says he makes friends well and does fine with the separation from you, then that is a great sign.
Your son’s personality is another great indicator. You might have three boys with three totally different personalities and you can quickly say that one will be ready earlier than another. Your son who is more independent and easygoing might be ready a year earlier than your son who is more cautious and likes to be around you more. Sometimes birth order plays into this. In general (but not always) younger siblings are ready a little sooner than an oldest child because they have been around older brothers and sisters and “act older”.
As far as age, most boys are easily ready for Junior Camp after having completed the 3rd grade with a great many ready after 1st or 2nd grade (again, that depends on personality type). For First Term and Second Term, most all boys can easily handle 25 days after 5th grade with a large majority ready after 3rd or 4th grade.
All of these factors are simply designed to help you determine when your son is ready for camp, whether that be after 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade or even a bit older. There is certainly no hard and fast rule. We believe all boys need camp even if they are still a little hesitant before they come (which is perfectly natural for all boys!). If you have a child with special physical or mental needs it is best to give us a call and we can discuss whether Alpine is right for your son.
