Summer Camp Care Packages

Every summer our daughter goes to summerher today.If you decide to write to your child at
camp. She looks forwardcamp, here are a few
to it every year. I can't believe next summer willtips:* If your children are young and this is their
be her lastfirst time away
opportunity to go to camp before she goes offfrom home, make sure to send several letters
to college.Our daughter started going to summerto let them know
camp when she was in middleyou're thinking about them and that you miss
school and has gone every year since. She finallythem.* Have other family members write to your
graduated fromchild also. Kids love
camper and kitchen help to camp counselor thisto receive mail.* If you have a child who would
year. Every year Ibe embarrassed by letters from
send her a care package with candy and otherhome, just send a care package with some of
treats and shetheir favorite candy
always looks forward to receiving it.Our daughteror other small items. One year I sent my
just returned from spending two weeks on adaughter a pair of
ministrySponge Bob boxer briefs, and they were the hit
trip to Honduras, was home for one day, andof the camp.* Be creative with your packing. You
then is going off tocan use a 2-liter pop bottle
church camp for a week. I knew we wouldn'tas a mailing container. Cut a slit in the side to
have much time to talkplace items in
between trips, so I decided to write letters toit and then tape over the slit. The kids will get a
her to send tokick out of
her at camp.I wrote to her about some of myseeing what's in the bottle.* Depending on how
day-to-day activities and aboutlong it takes the mail to get to the camp or
what she was missing in the news. I wrote abouthow long your child will be gone, you may have
Hurricane Dennisto mail the
and how worried I was for her so far awaypackage the day your child leaves, or even
from home. I told herbefore they leave.* If you know any of the other
she was always in my prayers and how much Ikids at camp, like your child's
missed her.Just in the two weeks she was goneclosest friends, don't be afraid to send them a
she missed her baby brother'snote or treat
hair falling out and her brothers' first colds. Itoo. I often send thinking-of-you cards to some
knew she missedof my daughter's
her baby brothers very much and missed theirfriends, and I know they love receiving mail from
baby hugs andpeople other
kisses. I told her about what they were doingthan their parents.In this day and age, letter
and that theywriting is becoming a dying art. If
missed her too.Because we like to spend a lot ofmy daughter keeps the letters I wrote her
time talking about oursomeday they will be a
spiritual lives, I shared with her what I had beenspecial keepsake for her, capturing an exciting
learning in mytime in her life.We don't always take the time to
daily devotions and shared what my prayersdo little things for our kids or
were for her.I wrote three letters to mytell them how we feel about them. Writing to
daughter to open on different daysthem at camp is a
and included pictures of her brothers that shegreat way to keep in touch with them while also
likes to carrysending them a
around with her wherever she goes. I packagedwelcome treat.Rachel Paxton is a freelance
up the letters withwriter and mom of four.
some candy and sent her care package off to