Fitting in, making friends, being independent and resilient are a few things that don’t feature in bucket list of most growing kids. But for the parents, these typical adolescent worries can be darn frustrating. The good news is that with practice and plenty of gentle encouragement, you can get your timid little shy ones to open up to new things and make new friends. The cue is to get them truly outside of their comfort zones so that they can grow. Hence, a summer camp!
Remember, kids don’t need to be coddled all the time. At times, it’s good to see them battle a challenge or two. Believe it or not, deep down, kids too yearn for someone to expect “more” out of them and to guide them towards achieving those expectations. They to feel the need to experience pangs of insecurity and experience the thrill of confidence when they realize they have “what it takes.”
So parents, prod your kids to shut down the Xbox or television and spend some time in the woods this summer. Let them battle little discomforts as they meet their counselor and mingle with a bunch of campers for the first time. Let them find out how good they are at swimming, canoeing or leading a group. Most of all, let them find out who they are. Camp Navigator jots down a few summer camp experiences that will make your child tough inside-out.
Children need to secure attachments outside their homes too. Camp gives them the perfect milieu for that. A summer spent with peers and counselors helps them bond and learn. It’s in the camps that the kids get over their primary inhibitions of meeting new people, learn to adapt to new situations and people, express themselves amid a group of unknowns, and lead and follow at the same time. Besides boosting confidence, it helps them connect with their own social self.
Camp offers kids with something genuine to like about themselves. Put simply, it helps the child discover his hidden inner talents. Not just that. Camps also pitches in as the perfect platform to place those skills and talents in front of an audience and earn appreciation. That positive, powerful acknowledgments fortifies his core and makes him/her feel valued.
Camps are the places where kids learn how to take stock of their lives. These experiences of self-efficacy metamorphoses them into competent, confident, young individuals.
Camps induce a feeling of fairness in kids. It’s here that kids learn to value themselves and most importantly, respect others and their accomplishments. Since most camps vouch for spirit of equity, every camper is treated and valued as a worthy individual — a great booster.
Canoeing down the waters or trekking down the wilds isn’t just fun, but physically rewarding too. Camp enforces discipline and healthy lifestyle. Camps experiences exposes kids to a host of challenging but manageable physical games that not only forces them to flex their limb, but also forms as a healthy exercise. Also, performing any activity in group keeps them motivated.
The last and the best advantage of a camp is that it enforces a sense of belongingness in the minds of the little ones. All those goofy chants and team songs, the sense of common purpose, and the attachment to the identity that camps promote go a long way to offering children a sense of being rooted. This makes them feel secured and united from within and makes them a winner all the way.
