Going on holiday without parents: FAQs to the Service Team

The excitement is building! The summer holidays in NRW start in about two weeks' time. Many children and young people will then be travelling to one of our youth hostels in the Rhineland for a holiday camp. Being away from home for a week, perhaps even for the first time, is not only exciting for the participants themselves. Many parents also look forward to this event with mixed feelings, as Almut Klinger knows. She has been working in the service centre of the youth hostels in the Rhineland for many years. We asked her about the issues that concern parents.

#1 Mobile phone use

„Everything ok?“, „What did you do today?“, „Good night!“: Sure, it's nice to think that you're always in contact with your child and send a few messages every now and then. However, Almut Klinger advises against this for educational and organisational reasons. She says: „Of course, we cannot and do not want to prohibit parents from calling their children. However, mobile phones are not allowed during the supervised activities. It disrupts the schedule, the programme and the group dynamics.“ Furthermore, no liability can be accepted for the loss of or damage to smartphones or mobile phones. So for those staying at home: No news is good news! A completely new experience for the parents too.

#2 Medication

What happens during the holiday camp if children have to take medication regularly? Many parents ask themselves this question. „Three weeks before the holiday, parents receive a letter from the Service Centre. They will be asked whether any medication needs to be taken. The teamers therefore have precise information about the need to take medication and can act accordingly,“ says our service centre employee. For legal reasons, the carers are not allowed to store and administer the medication. But of course they make sure that the children take their medication, explains Almut Klinger. They are reminded to take their medication at fixed times, e.g. after breakfast.

#3 Catering

Vegetarian and religious dietary requirements can be easily catered for in all youth hostels in the Rhineland. If children have a vegan diet or suffer from coeliac disease or intolerances, Almut Klinger usually refers them to the respective youth hostel. „We are then happy to put parents in touch so that they can discuss the details with the youth hostel's kitchen team before booking.“

#4 Composition of the group

„Parents want the children to have a good time and feel comfortable in the group,“ says Almut Klinger. „That's why we are often asked how old the other children are, whether there are more girls or boys enrolled or whether the other children have enrolled together with friends or siblings. We are then happy to look into the system and provide information about the group constellation, if possible.“ As a rule, however, the groups are a colourful mix and new friends are quickly made. This is because the holiday programmes bring together children with similar interests, regardless of whether friends or siblings are also taking part in the programme.

#5 Accompaniment by parents

Sometimes parents want to book their own room in the youth hostel where their child's holiday is taking place. However, the DJH Rhineland regional association has a clear line here: „If children have their parents on site, this hinders the children's sense of belonging to the group and makes all the other children homesick,“ explains Almut Klinger. If parents absolutely want to stay nearby, for example because it is not worth travelling home, then Almut Klinger and her team are happy to try and accommodate the parents in a neighbouring youth hostel.

Do you have any further questions? Then please contact Almut Klinger and her team on 0211 - 3026 3026 or by e-mail: service@djh-rheinland.de. You can also find further information on topics relating to the holiday camps in our catalogue „My holidays 2024“ (PDF version).