Preparing Your Kids to Navigate Time Away From Home Safely

Parenting is an ever-evolving journey filled with challenges, joys, and countless decisions. One of the most significant milestones for both parents and children is learning how to navigate time away from home safely. Whether it’s a school or church trip, a sleepover, or a summer camp, teaching our children about personal safety, boundaries, and self-advocacy will help them grow in confidence and become thriving adults.

As news stories increase in volume and culture continues to press in, we understand how it can be hard for parents to feel confident in helping kids spread their wings and step into new, parent-free experiences. Many of us here at Pine Cove are parents or grandparents ourselves, and thought it may be helpful to share some of our experiences and conversations we’ve had over the years with other camper parents.

Balancing Independence and Safety
One of the most significant challenges parents face is finding the balance between fostering their child’s independence and ensuring their safety. It’s completely natural to want to protect your children, and it’s equally important for them to experience the world, make decisions, and practice self-advocacy in real-world settings. These experiences are key to developing confidence and resilience, and they help kids grow into capable, self-assured individuals.

For Rachel Soeken, a mother of five, sending her children to overnight camp was a big step. Before letting her oldest child attend, Rachel spent considerable time being skeptical of the safety of overnight camp, researching Pine Cove to make sure camp would provide a safe and supportive environment. She called up a camp director and asked a series of questions to ensure that her child would be well taken care of. After learning about Pine Cove’s safety measures and commitment to camper well-being, she felt confident in her decision.

“Once I spent some time learning more about Pine Cove and how they protect campers, how passionate they are about praying for camper safety, and the rules they have in place, I felt comfortable sending my oldest,” she shares.

Rachel’s story highlights a key principle in parenting as described by The Anxious Generation author and social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, children should gradually be given experiences that promote independence, but always within environments that prioritize their well-being.

Before children spend time away from home, it’s essential to teach them about personal safety and boundaries. These lessons help children make wise decisions, recognize unsafe situations, and feel confident in speaking up if something feels wrong. Understanding personal boundaries is a key part of this process. From an early age, children should learn that they have ownership over their own bodies and personal space. By teaching them about physical, emotional, and digital boundaries, children will develop the confidence to assert themselves and make choices about what is comfortable for them.

Parents can reinforce these lessons by using simple, clear language. For example, teaching children, “Your body belongs to you” and “You don’t have to hug or touch anyone if you don’t want to” sets a foundation of respect for their personal boundaries. It’s also important to help children understand the difference between safe and unsafe touch. Safe touch might include high-fives, pats on the back, or medical check-ups when a parent is present. Unsafe touch is any interaction that makes a child feel uncomfortable, scared, or secretive. Parents should encourage children to trust their instincts—if something feels “off,” they should remove themselves from the situation and seek help. It’s also helpful to discuss who children can turn to for assistance if they can’t reach a parent. 

When preparing children for time away from home, one important safety practice that parents may want to adopt is how we train our staff to follow the “Rule of Three.” At Pine Cove, we ensure that no camper or staff member is ever alone with just one other person. This practice is in place to prevent unsafe situations and maintain accountability at all times. Rachel Soeken was so impressed with this safety measure that she incorporated it in her own home. She says, “We love that so much that we’ve adopted it within our own family. Our kids know that when they go over to people’s houses, I’m like, ‘Remember the Rule of Three!’” 

Parents can reinforce this by teaching kids to stay in groups at sleepovers or camp, avoid one-on-one situations with adults or older children in private settings, and to play in open areas where others can see them. At Pine Cove, counselors are available for “hang times” with campers, but these interactions happen in open spaces where others can see them, ensuring safety while maintaining a sense of personal connection.

Another important part of preparing children for time away from home is teaching them when to speak up according to the Raising Children Network. While it’s important for children to learn how to handle situations independently, they also need to know when it’s time to advocate for themselves and seek help. Having conversations about trusting their feelings is a great way to prepare them for these moments. Children should understand that if something feels uncomfortable, it’s okay to leave the situation and talk to a safe adult. Some children might worry about being labeled a “snitch” or facing judgment from their peers, so it’s helpful to discuss how to handle these concerns in advance. Reinforcing that you trust them to speak up will empower them to advocate for themselves, creating more opportunities for independence in the future. 

In today’s world, digital safety is another important consideration for parents. For many, the absence of technology at Pine Cove is a huge relief. Unlike sleepovers or other social gatherings where kids might have unsupervised internet access, Pine Cove eliminates the distractions and potential dangers of phones, social media, and the internet. 

This approach brings peace of mind to parents like Dawn Dellinger, whose two children will attend Pine Cove this summer. As a self-professed “non-technology family,” Dawn is happy to know that her kids won’t have access to the internet while they are at camp. She explains, “There’s no technology there. No child there has a phone. So it’s not like they’re going to be having access to something that they don’t have access to at home!” With the digital distractions removed, children at Pine Cove can focus on real-world friendships, outdoor activities, and personal growth.

However, in environments where children may encounter technology, it’s important for parents to teach them about digital safety. Children should be instructed not to share personal information online and to tell a parent if they see anything inappropriate. It’s also important to reinforce that anything shared online or messaged to another phone can be permanent and may be seen by more people than they expect.

By teaching children about personal safety, boundaries, and how to handle different situations independently, parents can prepare them for experiences away from home with confidence. With the right tools and guidance, children can thrive in new environments, feel empowered to make wise choices, and know when to seek help if they ever feel unsafe.

Safety Questions to Ask

Pine Cove is aware that the topic of abuse is on parents’ minds—it’s on ours too. That can be a tough topic to talk about, but parents like Rachel are convinced of the importance of bringing that taboo topic to light. “It’s better to just go ahead and address it and just say, ‘Hey, you’ve thought about it. We have definitely already thought about it. We thought about it before your kid was ever born because we’ve been thinking about it for years.'”

As you consider letting your child spend extended time away from home—whether at a friend’s house, on a school or church trip, or at camp—we encourage you to ask the following questions of whoever your child could be spending time with. We’ll take the opportunity to answer them as Pine Cove as well.

How do you hire and train your staff? 

At Pine Cove, our staff is highly vetted and less than 30% of new applicants are hired. Our mission is too important not to take great measures in this area. Our screening process is extensive, including background checks, in-depth interviews, multiple references (non-family), and checks against national sex offender registries. We are a member and in good standing with Christian Camping & Conference Association. 

Who can my child talk to if they feel unsafe?

At Pine Cove, campers can talk to their counselors, camp directors, or leave anonymous and private notes in a “talk box” located at every camp property if they are uncomfortable talking to someone. The CampLife app that parents download to see photos of their child’s camp week also encourages parents and campers to exchange letters through the app several times during their week of camp.

Will there be unsupervised technology available to the kids?

Phones are not allowed by summer staff or campers during the week. Our college summer staff have access to their phones during their off time, and only our most senior leadership have Pine Cove issued phones on property for emergency situations. Many of our campers have shared that they actually love the unplugged experience that camp offers!

What does your Abuse Prevention training look like? 

Pine Cove is accredited and highly rated by a third-party company, Praesidium, our safety partner. Praesidium is an expert in the field of youth safety and abuse prevention. All staff receive in-depth instruction on abuse prevention and child safety. This training goes far beyond a short list of do’s and don’t’s—it’s a serious time of instructing, testing, and conveying the importance of remaining vigilant. Praesidium accreditation is offered only to organizations who have undergone an extensive organizational review each year by its experts to determine the extent to which the organization complies with each of the standards within the Praesidium Safety Equation. In-person, on-site audits are also part of their evaluation.

While all of these safety measures are in place at Pine Cove so that kids can safely come to camp and have the time of their lives, our heart is for children to get the chance to try many adventurous activities, meet new friends, and deepen their walks with the Lord while equipped to stay safe wherever they have opportunity to go.

Letting Kids Thrive in a Safe Environment

For Rachel Soeken, Pine Cove is the perfect balance of freedom and security. “When my kids go to camp, they have this opportunity to experience their faith on their own, which to me is one of the most valuable things about Pine Cove. They can decide what they want to believe and how they want to pursue God without me standing right there over their shoulder!”

Parenting involves teaching children to navigate the world confidently while also knowing when to seek help. Whether preparing them for a friend’s birthday party, school field trip, or an overnight camp experience, the goal is to empower them with the skills to set boundaries, recognize unsafe situations, and speak up when necessary.