I feel as though I am the Judas in our mother/daughter relationship.
I left my white-faced daughter at day camp this morning, in a room which epitomised her worst nightmare. My daughter loves dolls, and sitting, and flowers and sitting, and card games and sitting.
This room had about 30 kids hurling hoops about with gay abandon, basketballs flying, noise noise noise and not a single doll. In fairness, this is a 'nature camp' where the day involved planting, a nature walk and 'playground based activities'. That doesn't sound too bad, I reckon.
But she was NOT BEST PLEASED to be left.
In Canada, there is a day camp culture during the summer that doesn't exist in Blighty. The summer holidays are much longer here, and it is the norm to send your child for football, swimming, arts and crafts camps etc. They are great...for parents. And I hear you argue why have kids if you just send them off the minute they are on holiday? Because the holiday is THREE MONTHS LONG!!
Not always too sure about how these things are for the kids. One of my friends had her child thoroughly mutiny this morning and refused to go. She is desperate for some time off and sounded gutted about having the chap around for the week.
I grew up in Canada and have nothing but fond memories of camps. The shinned knees, getting a crush on the hot camp councillor (who was probably age 17) and giggling alot. I probably blocked out the homesickness, the boredom and the repetitive macaroni sticking. I think she may like the 'Acting Camp' she is going to do in 2 weeks time (that is my plan, one week on, one week off).
Poor daughter, I am picking her up in half an hour, and then I will know if I get the rest of the week 'off' with just my toddler.
Funny definition of a week off you have! :)
ReplyDeleteMy experience as a parent and as a former teacher in a preschool is that kids tend to find someone who shares their interests. Quickly. And bond for life. I hope she finds something about nature camp that she likes and can remember as fondly as you remember your camp experiences, repetitive macaroni sticking and all.
Our holidays are two months in Ireland and a lot of children attend camps because the holidays are just too long otherwise. Three months would break my heart I think, there is no other way to keep them occupied unless you are a cross between superwoman and the bionic woman!! Hope she was ok when you collected her:) Jen
ReplyDelete@ Jen - Wow, I didn't realise that the holidays were that long in Ireland. What is that about?
ReplyDelete@MSS - you are so right, she found another quiet looking girl and was bright and jolly when I picked her up, she didn't want to leave her new friend.
I am so glad! had the same worries dropping my boys off. one was v quiet when I dropped him off...but talking a mile a minute and needing to be pried away from a friend by the time I went back.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she enjoyed it. When I was younger I was very much a girly girl who hated anything sporty. I also hated 'organised' play and would have been really unhappy going to the kind of camp you describe.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my school ran a similar scheme in the summer holidays where pupils could attend activity days and I really loved these as you could choose the activity. While my brother was busy doing 'active' activities, I was happy learning how to flower arrange or how to bake.