It’s been another busy day at Camp Takajo. Our Warrior Indian Campers (finished 4th grade), who slept in the MJG Playhouse for their all-night movie extravaganza, stumbled into breakfast with bed head, looking like they stayed up all night as to not miss a minute of fun. Our Junior Grey Campers (finished 6th grade) left camp for a two-day whitewater rafting trip. They boys and their counselors will sleep under a starlit sky, awake in the morning to board their ten-man rafts, and venture down the rapids of the Kennebec River. These rapids are fun and exhilarating, and our boys will enjoy pulling over to the shore for a steak and chicken cookout midway through the journey.
Our Senior Intermediates (finished 7th grade) had the privilege of sleeping in this morning, and when they awoke, enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast with bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches prepared right on their quad. Those boys in camp enjoyed taking advantage of playing team sports, sailing and waterskiing on the lake, and finishing projects on Hobby Lane. Our campers can sense that the regular program will soon be coming to an end and that Olympics will soon break.
I find myself involved in every aspect of this camp. I must admit, as a dad, I can’t help but daydream about that feeling of having my children come home to me at the end of the camp season. I yearn for that unconditional hug and snuggle time. I love those moments around the dinner table when they recount the funny stories that occurred in the bunk. Even the thought of driving to the orthodontist makes me smile just at the mere thought of reconnecting and having that quality time with my kids. The end of the season allows for me to have the opportunity to create a new set of expectations in our home as well.
As the school year was winding down, I became a little bit more permissive when it came to bed times, curfews, and the use of technology. Knowing that my kids are coming from a structured environment, where they thrived with rules and routine, I feel like this is the perfect time to implement anything my wife and I deem appropriate. As parents, we recognize that if we don’t seize the moment and convey our expectations for the launch of the school year, then the “inmates may be running the asylum.”
The end of the summer is not only a celebration of an accomplishment for your son, but it is an opportunity to revisit policies and procedures in your home and create the kind of environment that best serves your family.
