Surprising Things I Learned After Sending My Kid to Camp

WRITTEN BY KATIE DAUGHENBAUGH

I distinctly remember the first time I sent my son off to camp. He was entering the sixth grade and hadn’t yet experienced a growth spurt. His best friend was his little sister and he loved going to bed early. The other boys there seemed so much older — taller, more confident, more mature. How would this turn out?

The short answer is, it turned out great! So many good things came from this first experience that he has since been on dozens of campouts, backpacking trips and several summer camps with the Scouting America program. Currently, he staffs at a Scout Camp in the summers, and it all started because we took the plunge and committed to his first formal camp experience.

What were some of the things we learned? Read on!

1. I survived without him. Yes, I did. Maybe it’s because he was my first kid, or because I was new to this whole “big kid activity” thing, but I worried about it being hard on me much more than it actually was. I definitely found things to do!

2. He survived without me. Turns out I was wrong when I thought he’d be paralyzed by homesickness (though that can definitely happen with some kids; I was the worst!). He jumped into the activities and found his place. I’m not sure I was missed.

3. We overpacked. Not knowing exactly what camp would entail, we followed the packing list but embellished as we wished. Not surprising, the extras weighed him down instead of lifting him up. We never did that again!

4. He was more capable than I thought. Don’t get me wrong; learning how to ensure you are adequately rested and fed in a new environment with strangers is hard. But kids are more capable than we give them credit for. At camp, they don’t have a choice but to figure these things out.

5. The growth in personal accountability was staggering. Being on their own without a parent to fall back on, kids are forced to stand behind their actions (good and bad), communicate with others and advocate for themselves. They must suffer consequences, process new emotions and learn to work with new people. And if some component of an experience didn’t go well, camp forced him to reflect on how he could do it better next time.

6. I’m glad I sent some spending money. There is a thing called the Trading Post at Scout Camp. It’s pretty much a 7-11 combined with a miniature Walmart. My guess is other camps have such a thing too. With cash burning a hole in his pocket and no mother judging his purchases, he ate too much candy, and you know what? I’m glad. He’ll be fine.

7. He didn’t want to come home. Turns out canoeing, mountain biking, shelter building, knot tying and camp games are more fun than doing the daily at home. Shocking!

8. He smelled. Just because he brought all the clean clothes doesn’t mean he wore them. Just because there were showers doesn’t mean he used them. He survived.

Bonus!

9. I didn’t get as much done as I thought I would! It was tempting to fantasize about how much I could get done around the house without kids in my hair. But once I experienced a little freedom from parenting duties, I found myself not checking things off the list but filling my bucket in other ways, like long overdue coffee with a friend, a good book and a date night with my spouse. Embrace it.

Camp offers opportunities for growth for all of us, and with the plethora of quality programs here in the Gallatin Valley, there’s no reason we shouldn’t embrace this for our kids. You might just learn a thing or two!

Katie Daughenbaugh is the Mountain Valley District Chair for Scouting America.