What parents need to hear before they say yes

Published about 4 hours ago • 1 min read

Hey Reader,

You help families say yes to a summer that can change their kid.

Those talks can feel heavy. Parents bring big hopes. They also bring real worries about safety, homesickness, cost and phones.

I've been gathering the research behind those worries. Here's a taste.

What the research says

80% of parents call safety extremely important in a summer program (Afterschool Alliance).
Campers had fewer than 1 injury per 1,000 days at camp (ACA Healthy Camp Study).
About 9 in 10 kids feel some homesickness away from home (American Academy of Pediatrics).
96% of parents were satisfied with their child's summer program in 2024 (Afterschool Alliance).

Words you can use

When a parent worries about homesickness, try something like this:

"Some homesickness is normal. Our staff are trained to help with it. We'll keep you posted, and we'll call you if your child needs you."

The Case for Camp

These come from The Case for Camp. It's a research guide I built for my clients and course members. It covers 8 things families face right now. It also covers 8 worries parents bring to you. Each one has sources and calm words to make your own.

If you'd like help sharing research like this, I'd love to connect. We can spend 30 minutes on how you present your camp to parents. The goal is more trust with families and more kids at camp next summer.

Pick a time whenever you have a quiet moment: https://tidycal.com/travis-allison/30m

Take good care,

Travis

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