If your kids are going to sleep-away camp this summer, you may be wrestling with worries and what-ifs.
- What if he wets the bed?
- What if the other kids are cliquish or mean?
- Will the camp director call me if she’s miserable?

Why Parents Worry
“Much of our anxiety as parents stems from the fact that there are so many things we cannot control in our children’s lives,” says Paul Donahue, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Parenting Without Fear. You may worry that without structure kids won’t be able to handle routine tasks like showering, brushing teeth or getting dressed. One mom I know felt so sure her son wouldn’t change clothes at camp that she packed his items – one pair of underwear, shorts, shirt, and socks – in gallon-size Ziploc bags, labeled with the days of the week.

Because parents focus so much on kids’ needs, it’s hard to step back. Coverage of natural more»