{camp orkila, Orcas Island, WA}
Looking for summer fun for your kids? Send them to camp. Not just camp. Sleep away camp. I know it may be late for the this summer, but put in the back of your head for next year. Most camps open enrollment in January, some even earlier. Or, hey, jump online and see if there are any openings for camp in August. Big W went to camp for the first time at age 8. {Little Man was 7.} Without a doubt, they come home from camp dirty and tired, but also a little more grown up.
Big W and Little Man have grown immeasurably from their time away. I see the growth in three main ways:
1. Independence
#1 and always so surprising. They return from camp more mature and more capable than when they left. Most importantly, they learn to navigate the world with all their idiosyncrasies without my help. Don’t like the food, figure it out. Can’t fall asleep, figure it out. Not getting along with a friend, figure it out. Not sure of an activity, figure it out.
2. Appreciation
Oh, this is a big one. They appreciate home, their bed, their siblings, your cooking, and your hugs a little bit more. Distance does make the heart grow fonder and it works for kids too. They also gain an appreciation for the great outdoors. The camps’ locations are so beautiful they can’t help but fall in love with nature.
3. Confidence
Quite simply, they can do it. And when they return home, they know it.
Camp is good for you too, for all the same reasons! You get a bit of independence {even if it is just for a week}, you miss them terribly and appreciate the energy they bring to your house, and you gain confidence in knowing you will, eventually, be able to let them go.
If I could afford it {and allow it}, Big W would be gone all summer. Jumping from camp to camp. Each one offers new experiences, new challenges, and a new location. Who know which camps next summer will bring, but rest assured they will both be packed and ready.
Tags: life with boys
