Hi! I'm Hillary
I've been a camper, a counselor, and a camp owner/director. Camp has shaped so much of who I am, and for years I've helped families navigate one of the biggest decisions they'll make for their children: sending them to sleepaway camp.
And yet, this summer, I found myself in a completely new role.
For the first time, I'm a camp parent.
As I prepared to send my daughter off to camp, I started having all the same worries and questions that I've heard from parents for years. What if she's homesick? What if she doesn't make friends? What if she forgets to brush her teeth? What if she needs help? What if camp isn't what she expected?
Even with decades of camp experience, I found myself spiraling through "what ifs" that felt incredibly personal and, at times, irrational.
Thankfully, because of my work in the camp world, I've had conversations with hundreds of parents over the years. I knew these concerns were common. I knew that almost every parent has their own version of the same worries. I could rationalize them.
But I still felt them.
As I searched for resources, support, and honest conversations about the parent side of camp, I realized something surprising: there wasn't really a place for it.
There are countless resources for choosing a camp, packing for camp, and preparing campers for camp. But there wasn't a space dedicated to the questions, concerns, and emotions that parents experience before, during, and after sending their child away.
That's why I created this community.
My goal is simple: to be the resource I was looking for.
Whether you're worried about homesickness, friendships, independence, bedwetting, hygiene, social dynamics, or simply letting go, you're not alone. Chances are, another parent is wondering the exact same thing.
This isn't about pretending camp is perfect or that every concern is unfounded. It's about helping parents navigate the experience with more confidence, more perspective, and a lot less isolation.
Because every camper deserves support.
And every camp parent does, too.