Going to camp puts kids’ self-care muscles to the test.
Navigating a new environment with unfamiliar people
helps kids learn to trust their intuition and honor their
instincts.
LISTENING. Do you get weary of nagging and
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. If you have siblings
who bicker quite a bit, they may benefit from getting
along more easily with kids who are not kin. Camp
counselors have a way of expecting thoughtfulness and
encouraging kids to practice it.
feeling your child just doesn’t listen anymore? Kids can
certainly develop listening fatigue with parents and
other everyday authority figures. But after tuning in
closely to some new-to-them camp leaders, they just
might bring better listening abilities back home. LASTING CONNECTIONS. Remember pen pals?
PLAYFULNESS. Got a perfectionist kid on your SELF-EXPRESSION. Parents may unwittingly hold
hands? Sometimes within the rush and rigors of daily
life, families forget how to relax and enjoy life to the
fullest. Camp is a great place to remember how to
lighten up and enjoy the day.
GRIT. This trendy term means the combination of
courage and resolve. If your child does not bounce back
quickly from disappointments, camp is a great place to
learn tenacity, conflict resolution and problem solving.
SELF-APPRECIATION. Do you appreciate the heck
out of your kid but wish he would esteem himself as
much as others? Camp is a place where kids can discover
new things to like about themselves. Increased self-
reliance is often the first step towards building higher
self-esteem.
Social Skills
SOCIABILITY. Do you have a shy or introverted
child? If she lacks peers who are enthusiastic about her
passions, an interest-based camp can help her meet
more like-minded people. Socially awkward kids feel
more accepted and appreciated every time they make a
new friend.
“
At camps, kids can make new friends and find ways to
keep in touch until they meet again. This is a great way
for kids to maintain long-distance friendships and build
an extended social network.
kids back from finding new forms of self-expression.
At camp, kids find fresh audiences for the countless
ways to share who they are and what they think and
feel. Increased self-expression leads to unfolding self-
discovery.
COHABITATING. If you want your child to learn
new things, put him in a tent with roommates and
watch the lessons unfold. Sharing space and resources
with others is a crash course in self-awareness and
peacekeeping.
Occupational Skills
MENTORING. Camp counselors provide excellent
examples of what a constructive mentor-mentee
relationship is like. Go ahead and encourage kids
to become counselors in the future if they wish to
experience both sides of this educational relationship.
COLLABORATION. Perhaps during the school
year, teamwork is limited to sports and cooperation is
confined to the classroom. At camp, every endeavor
from cleaning a cabin to climbing a rock face becomes
a new way to understand the importance of working
together.
NAVIGATING A NEW ENVIRONMENT WITH
UNFAMILIAR PEOPLE HELPS KIDS LEARN TO TRUST
THEIR INTUITION AND HONOR THEIR INSTINCTS.”
14 | F L A G L E R parent M A G A Z I N E