Camp and Independence
If we asked most parents why they are sending their child to camp, most would say something like this "So she will be more confident, to learn to work well with others and develop some new skills at a bunch of activities. I want her to make friends...to get away from the pressure of the city and be herself, and have some good old fashioned fun." We all know camp is fun, but it also provides community living with independence, away from home, in an outdoor recreational setting that promotes social skills, independence, healthy risk taking, and self-esteem. The result: children at camp gain one of the most important character traits, resilience.
We all know that having challenges in life is necessary to create strength of character. It's a balancing act. When we learn to lose, or fail a task, or are hurt and recover, that is how we grow up to be confident and empathetic adults. Everyone who attends summer camp, experiences healthy challenges in some form or another, whether they are on a canoe trip, dealing with cabin mates or trying new skills. Having children deal with a camper in their cabin who is being uncooperative or disruptive (although unfortunate) can be a great learning experience, as it may teach a child how to problem solve, how to work together as a group and how to develop patience and understanding without resorting to violence. In addition, physical challenges present conditions that require stretching your child's abilities and create healthy, hard working, confident children. They are not only learning to look after themselves, more importantly they are gaining an appreciation for helping the people around them.
Sometimes it's ok if life is not perfect for our kids. At camp that may mean seeing a mouse, or running out of a second helping of lunch, or being disappointed at not being able to do their favorite activity with a friend. Sometimes it's good for kids to be tired, disappointed, confused, to be cold, wet, or hungry for more than a second. Now obviously our goal is for your child to have life changing experiences, have mosquito free evenings and lots of great food. But it's how your child is taught to deal with every day "controlled challenges" that allows them to grow up so quickly at summer camp. The fact that your children are having an experience of their own is what makes camp the most fertile ground for positive youth development. We are also intentional that your child knows that when things get difficult, God is always there to help them through. As parents, you don't really need to see camp happening; you need and want to understand what happened to your child because of camp.
The greatest leaders in the world and the happiest people as well, were not all straight "A" students. They have other qualities in common. They are resilient as a result of having high levels of emotional intelligence including empathy, optimism, good teamwork, patience, a sense of humor, as well as the ability to bounce back from failure. They also have goals and the confidence that those goals can be achieved. In most cases, with clear adult supervision, advice and support, children are far stronger and smarter than we give them credit for. No doubt we are far from perfect but sometimes a little imperfection within a safe and nurturing environment can go a long way to help making your child's summer a true success. We are looking forward to a safe, fun, and positive summer camp experience with your child because kids are worth it.
Don, Charlotte and the Gimli staff team
Much of this article is excerpted from the Camp Manitou website by Mark Diamond and Jeff Wilson