The good news is that while the rest of the country is dealing with temperatures in the mid 90’s, we are enjoying a magnificent Maine day, perhaps the nicest day of the summer. We enjoyed a bright sunny sky, a light breeze coming off the lake, temperatures in the low 80’s, and low humidity. The unfortunate news is that many of you who are battling sweltering heat in your hometown will be bringing that weather with you to Maine this weekend. While it may be a bit early to predict the weekend’s weather, we are anticipating warm, muggy, air.
With just days before we welcome you, I am reminded of a story that took place when my son was a 7-year-old camper at Takajo. At the end of a warm day, I locked eyes with my son in the dining room. The moment that our eyes connected, my son became an emotional mess. He was exhausted, hungry, and while he had no problem keeping it together throughout the day, all he needed to do was see his father, and he lost it.
Acting as any parent would, seeing their child in distress; I started to make my way across the dining room so that I could comfort my son. Before I was able to take my third step, one of my counselors put his arm across my chest, looked me in the eye and said, “Stay away. We’ve got this.” As difficult as it was for me not to intercede, I followed this counselor’s advice. Two hamburgers, one ice cream, and a bottle of water later, my son ran out of the dining room, all smiles. Had the counselor not interceded, I may have unknowingly deterred my son’s development.
Children know how to push our buttons. Some do it better than others, but as parents, we see one of our primary roles as a fixer. When our children hurt, we hurt. Nevertheless, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the gift of self-reliance, and to teach them how to use their words and advocate for themselves. It is important that children learn from a young age that they have the ability to resolve issues, and that is one of the greatest skills a child can learn in camp.
When you are with your son this weekend, he might share with you that he is interested in playing more tennis or water ski more often. Let your child go through the exercise of going up to his group leader and expressing himself so that he knows he is capable of doing it after you are gone.
My little guy is now in his eighth summer in camp and often, when I see him around this facility, taking advantage of all that we have to offer, I often wonder if he would feel the sense of independence had I intervened and attempted to resolve his brief moment of despair.
