If you have ever sent your child to overnight camp, you know drop-off can be an emotional milestone. One minute, you are labeling socks, water bottles, and sunscreen. The next you are driving away, wondering whether you have made one of the best parenting decisions of your life, or one of the hardest.

Last summer, we sent our 9-year-old daughter to a Jewish overnight camp in Wisconsin for two weeks, 8 hours away. She was outgoing, independent, confident, and excited to go, but that didn’t make saying goodbye any easier. As a parent, I hoped camp would give her freedom, friendships, and unforgettable memories. What I didn’t expect was the flood of homesick letters.

Every day another letter (or three) arrived asking me to come get her.

She wrote to us, her grandparents, her aunts, and anyone she thought might help convince us to rescue her. She even wrote to her little sister, telling her never to go to sleep-away camp and to tell mom to pick her up. Camp staff reassured me that she was participating in activities, making friends, and adjusting. Still, as parents, it is hard not to believe what is written in your child’s own handwriting. I analyzed every letter, every camp photo, and every phone call, wondering if we had made the wrong decision.

Those two weeks felt much longer than fourteen days. Then came pickup day.

I expected to hear all about why she would never return. Instead, she ran toward us, surrounded by friends, introduced us to everyone, and before we even left camp, announced, “I’m coming back next summer.”

While those emotional letters were true, they captured only a small part of each day and night. The rest was filled with swimming, sports, campfires, late-night bunk conversations, songs, laughter, and the friendships that make overnight camp so special.

This summer, the difference has been remarkable. The homesick letters have been replaced with short notes about nothing and reminders that I should not worry because she is having an amazing time. Camp no longer feels unfamiliar. She knows the traditions, the routines, and the songs.

Watching that transformation has reminded me that growth often begins with discomfort.

As parents, our instinct is to fix hard situations for our children. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give them is the opportunity to discover that they can handle challenges on their own. That lesson feels especially meaningful at Jewish overnight camp.

Along with canoeing, Maccabiah, talent shows, and more desserts than she gets at home, Jewish camp gives children something even more lasting: a joyful connection to their Jewish identity. They celebrate Shabbat together, sing songs, do Israeli dancing in jerseys, and those become lifelong memories. They build friendships rooted in shared values and experience Judaism as something vibrant, welcoming, and fun. They return home with more than camp souvenirs; they come home with confidence, resilience, and a stronger sense of belonging, and about 20 more kids to invite to their Bat Mitzvah.

Perhaps the biggest surprise has been my younger daughter.

Ever since we dropped her sister off, she has confidently declared that she’ll be going to camp next summer. Not, “Maybe I’ll try it” or, “Can I go?” Instead, “Sign me up for two weeks with the option to stay four. You can just mail my Fourth of July outfit later”

The confidence is impressive for someone who hasn’t even packed her first trunk and who received homesick letters from her sister just one summer ago.

Looking back, I am grateful we didn’t let those homesick letters convince us to end the experience early. If we had our daughter might never have discovered what it feels like to move through something difficult and come out stronger on the other side.

Tomorrow I’m getting on a plane to go pick her up. I can’t wait to hug her, hear every story she forgot to include in her letters (which is 98% of them), and see just how much she has grown in four short weeks. As excited as I am to have her home, part of me is a little sad that her summer camp experience has come to an end.

That is one of the greatest gifts overnight camp can offer. It isn’t just about the activities, the traditions, or even the friendships. It is about giving children the space to become more confident, resilient versions of themselves and giving parents the chance to witness that transformation one summer at a time.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have more trunks to buy. Tomorrow I’ll happily bring one camper home. Next summer I’ll be leaving two behind. Here’s hoping I remember everything I learned the first time around. Wish me luck.