Liz Atwood discusses preparing kids for their first overnight trips in this week's Tween Tuesday:

Parents and kids soon will be getting ready for summer camp, but a recent experience has me wondering all over again the best way to prepare kids for their first sleep-away experience.

My 10-year-old just returned from his first scout camp out without me. When he was a Cub Scout, I always went along on the camping trips, but last weekend, he and his older brother went off on a campout and I stayed behind. I wasn’t too worried. My son has been with this scout den for four years, and, after all, older brother was there to look after him.

It turns out my confidence was a bit misguided. My son ended up getting homesick and having nightmares. Older brother was sound asleep in a different tent and knew nothing of it. Kudos to the leaders who calmed him down and helped him through the night, but now I wonder what to do about another trip that’s coming up in a couple weeks. I haven’t mentioned it to him yet, thinking I’ll let the memories of this recent trip fade a bit.

But I wonder if it’s best to get right back into an overnight trip or to wait a few more months before trying again.

Any suggestions?