Visiting offers the child a chance to square their fantasy with reality and helps them visualize themselves being there. Begin having over-nights. Have the child participate in both shopping for cam and some of the packing. Speak openly about the child being away. Check your own feelings about having your child be gone for one to even weeks.
Children are keen sensors of parental angst.
If you are not ready yourself, it may make it harder for the child to leave and feel permission to have fun. Develop a good relationship with the director. If you or your child are homesick, an understanding director can help you through the rough spots. First, lets remember that going to camp can be a major change for any child and that a camper can be homesick at day camp just as easily as at resident camp. The most important step is for parents to feel good themselves both about the particular camp and about the idea of their child being there.