So, your camper comes home on a high, talking about games and names and songs you’ve never heard of before. This is a new kid! A happy, silly, twigs in her hair, kid who wants to teach you about scat and astronomy. That elation lasts long enough for all the laundry to get done and put away, their favorite television shows binge-watched and best-loved home cooked meals enjoyed. Then you have on your hands what’s known as the camp-sick sulker. And you still have a few weeks of summer to fill! What’s a dedicated parent to do to keep everybody sane and happy before school begins? Take some tips from us and extend the camp lifestyle into your own.

An outstanding camp counselor is a person you remember your entire life. Somewhere in between teacher, babysitter, and confidante, this older individual is usually a former camper. This counselor is someone who has literally walked where your child is walking and slept where she is bunking, and is going to be a role model and guiding force for the entire summer and beyond.

Your kids want to go to camp for a variety of reasons: to swim, boat, craft, play games, sleep in a bunk, make up stories, sing songs, eat s’mores, and stay up late. Who among us wouldn’t want to spend many warm weeks of summer having fun with our friends? And while parents endorse all those endeavors, fondly recalling sing-a-longs around campfires, secret languages made up in the dark, and days on end spent in wet bathing suits, the real reason we send our kids to camp? It’s the independence.