Need advice here.
My son will be going into his 4th year of cub scouts next year. It's called Webelos. I guess they are in that for 4th and 5th grade. This summer there is a camp for kids that age, it is 4 days/3 nights. Parents do not go, but some of the scout leaders will be there. Boys stay two to a tent, no adult.
Our den leader is encouraging all the boys to go, because it's supposed to be a lot of fun for the boys and they have opportunity to earn a bunch of their requirements.
My son has a lot of anxiety about this. About being scared, being homesick, afraid the other boys would see him get upset if he is homesick, etc. We don't want to push him, told him he'll have other opportunities, etc. On the hand, I don't want him to miss the opportunity and have a lot of regret afterwards, especially if the rest of the boys in his den are going.
I had a lot of issues with this kind of thing for a couple of years when I was about 10, 11 or so. I was very worried about overnights for school and youth activity field trips without my parents around, and looking back, I'm not sure exactly why. Eventually I just got past it, but it sort of came at my own speed and my parents (who were, and still are, beyond terrific) never pushed me.
I know I would be very reluctant to force an overnight, especially for a few days, before my kid was really ready. Can he earn the badges without going on the trip?