Dear First Time Camp Parents,
Welcome to your very first summer at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp! And, just as important: Congratulations. You’re about to give your daughter the experience of a lifetime.
As the first day of camp draws close, we think it’s time to let you in on a little secret: It’s not at all unusual for parents of new campers to be far more nervous than the campers themselves. We promise you’re not alone! It’s only understandable for you to be experiencing what we call “pre-camp jitters.” You love your daughter and want the best for her, and the idea of sending her off to a new place for seven weeks can seem a bit overwhelming.
Here’s the good news: Not only is a little bit of parental nervousness normal, it’s something we have lots of experience helping to alleviate! Our directors, Jane and Dan, know what it’s like to send a daughter off to sleepaway camp for the first time, and they have helped hundreds of camp parents make a smooth transition from nervous first-timers to seasoned old hands.
The process of getting new parents ready for camp starts long before spring comes to Bryn Mawr Mountain, with home visits, phone calls and camp tours. But as summer draws near, it’s nice to have one more chance to spend some time getting comfortable with camp. That’s why, one Saturday each May, we open up camp to new families at our annual New Camper Open House.
Open House is a wonderful opportunity to spend a day on campus with your daughter and the whole family, sampling the food, touring new facilities and trying out some favorite camp activities. Key members of our leadership staff are always on hand so you can ask questions and seek last-minute assurances about packing, medications, dietary restrictions, activities or schedules. Plus, it’s a great chance to see your daughter get excited for camp and remind yourself of all the new skills, friendships and memories she’s going to bring home at the end of her first summer at Bryn Mawr.
For our camp leadership staff, Open House is one of the most exciting days of the year — seriously!. There’s nothing we love more than welcoming new campers and their parents into our summer family, and it’s thrilling to look around campus and think about how soon those pre-camp jitters will be replaced with joy at hearing stories about new friendships, new skills and memories that will last a lifetime. And we promise you: No matter what your question or worry, we’re ready to talk with you about it and help you feel at ease with your first summer as a camp parent. Trust us, we’ve heard it all!
We know that by sending us your daughter, you’re placing the utmost trust in our ability to take good care of her. That’s a responsibility we take seriously — and it’s why we’re also serious about helping parents get ready for camp along with their daughters. When you feel comfortable about your daughter’s first time at camp, she’ll feel that comfort, and that will set your daughter up to have a happy and successful summer.
