It’s the first day of camp, you are waiting in the pick-up line excited to hear about the first day. As you pull out of the camp driveway you ask and the response is…“Fine.” That’s it. That’s all you get. You ask again and you get the same response. Ugh! You want to know more.
Christy Mauro, Assistant Director of Camp MELC, understands that parents want to know more and help parents to get more feedback from their kids. It’s one of the ways camp directors can ensure that parents made the right decision to send your child to camp and also gives them the opportunity to ensure that your child is having a great summer experience.
Hear more about your child’s day at camp
1. Ask Open Ended Questions
Nothing is better than asking “Tell me about the most exciting thing you did today.” Or, being prepared to have a follow up question like “What are you making in art?” This provides you with the opportunity to have discussion and learn more.
2. Ask Specific Questions
A common concern is if your child had enough time to eat lunch or drink water. You don’t need a lengthy answer and probably happier with the straight to the point answer. So feel free to ask “How many water breaks did you get today?” or “Did you eat all of your lunch?” This will help you establish some of the basic information you want to know.
3. Ask About Tomorrow
A great way to learn about today’s experience is based on how much your child is looking forward to tomorrow. If your child is not excited about tomorrow, it’s most likely because of their experience today or there are not looking forward to something that is planned. So feel free to ask about tomorrow and see where the conversation goes from there.
These tips may also be helpful for other activities as well, so don’t wait until June. You can start asking these questions now about their school day, too.
For more information on Montgomery Early Learning Centers programs, please visit http://melc.org/.