As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close — as does the school year — NBC10 Boston is taking a look at choosing the right summer camp for your child if they are dealing with things like anxiety or emotional challenges.
There are more than 14,000 summer camps in the country, but not all of them are equipped to support children and teenagers who are struggling emotionally, especially since the pandemic.
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“Kids are having a tough time speaking to other people, feeling uncomfortable seeing faces without masks on," Senior Clinical Director of the Baker Center for Children and Families Dr. Sarah Tannebaum said. "We are hearing a lot about teenagers, who have no friendships and are only connecting online."
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Dr. Tannebaum encouraged parents to reach out for help and not worry alone when choosing a summer camp for a child with a mental health need.
"Calling people up and say to yourself 'Does the way that they talk about this camp fit with what would be a good fit for my kid,'" Dr. Tannebaum said. "Has my pediatrician heard about this? Has my kid’s therapist heard about this? Or their school? Do the things, the materials that they have sound like things that would support my child and my family?”
Every summer, Dr. Tannebaum works with 70 kids who are diagnosed with things like anxiety and ADHD at Camp Baker in Westwood — providing a mix of traditional activities like games and swimming with therapeutic techniques to prepare the kids for a successful school year.
“If you help kids embrace their mental health challenges and really learn that they just need some different tools to do things differently that creates a window of opportunity that they can really take action that can change their whole lives," Dr. Tannebaum said.
No matter which camp you choose this summer, the key is to collaborate early with camp leaders to devise a flexible plan that best serves your child.
