tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3919858889505423494.post4127397760536717621..comments2024-03-06T02:27:43.423-06:00Comments on My Little Life: An Open Letter to My Kids at Camp...Day 2Mama M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00675065017958191800noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3919858889505423494.post-35829442856555518392015-07-07T19:51:47.978-05:002015-07-07T19:51:47.978-05:00Oh....I can understand how you are feeling.
But...Oh....I can understand how you are feeling. <br /><br />But....let me give you some encouragement. I went to a week-long church camp every summer from around age 8 to 16. It was the type of camp where gradually increased your degree of roughing it over the years. It averaged out to sleeping on wooden floors in primitive tents and cooking over a camp fire 2 meals a day. Most years I had a fantastic time. Some years I didn't. Most years I didn't bring a friend with me, some years I did.<br /><br />But I am so, so, so glad that my parents sacrificed to send their 5 kids to camp for all of those years (we once figured that they probably spent $20,000 sending kids to camp over all of those years!). I learned so much. I grew in my faith. But almost as important is that I learned a lot of life skills. I learned to be flexible. I learned to get along with lots of different people (that's something that was useful as I moved to college) . I learned to deal with not-ideal living situations. I learned that I was tough and someone that could stick it out and get through anything. That's something I'm proud of even 20 years later! One year, my mom told me later that she wouldn't have said no had I wanted to leave right when they dropped me off. I stuck it out and had a great week. But the thing that I remember most about all of those years is how much fun I had. How magical it was to spend a week with by myself without my siblings and with a cool leader who seemed so much older than probably 18 :)<br /><br />So I hope that your kids have a great week---I'm guessing that they will! But even if they don't---even if they are miserable and homesick---it will be a good experience for them. I don't have kids yet, but if I do, you can bet that I will be sending them off to camp as soon as they are old enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3919858889505423494.post-14525352228452663392015-07-07T13:48:47.229-05:002015-07-07T13:48:47.229-05:00Enjoy your week of some quite time. Enjoy your week of some quite time. Adrienne Patenaudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10731553665811490796noreply@blogger.com