Summer Camp Went Well for my Nephew

[UncleP]

My nephew just got back from summer camp, and from what he has told me things went well.

 

Of course their were rough spots, but more good than bad. He earned his merit badge in swimming and took the First Year Camper program. Being outdoors, the change in environment was therapeutic for him. It showed him that the world is more than being quiet for his parents naps. It is amazing what a change can do for a boy.

 

The rough spots included dealing with the other boys, and the lack of privacy. He is a little obsessive compulsive, so the dirty and disorder got to him. He found the activities harder than he thought.

 

But even these things were good in my own opinion. He is starting to learn how to deal with people in the real world. He is learning to deal with things that make him feel uncomfortable, rather than just avoiding them. Finally, now that he realizes how hard it is, he is more likely to forget about advancement, and think more about having fun.

 

Thank you

 

PS - I am almost a little jealous of him, and what good he can do for himself.

[Stosh]

It's a whole new world for him and sounds like it may not have overwhelmed him with excitement, but it did spark his sense of inquisitiveness which is probably more important than getting a mountain top experience.  It may spark him to inquire more and provide him something away from the home setting he can look forward to being involved in.

 

I'm super glad he had a good time.  Prayers are worth it. 

[Chadamus]

UncleP, that's great news! Glad to hear things went well. A +1 to your Nephew as well. I hope the success continues. ☺

[desertrat77]

Thanks for the good news, Uncle P!  

[Eagle94-A1]

To quote Spicolli, "AWESOME! TOTALLY AWESOME!" 
 

[qwazse]

Thanks for the update! Glad we could help you with the paradigm shift.

... He is learning to deal with things that make him feel uncomfortable, rather than just avoiding them. ...
PS - I am almost a little jealous of him, and what good he can do for himself.

That's the idea. Getting a youth to be comfortable in his/her own skin.

This is the right time to do it. Any later age and the mountains can seem, well, insurmountable!

 

PS - I find myself envying my former scouts and what they can now do for themselves.

[Tampa Turtle]

If for no other reason the Summer Camp experience is good to gain an appreciation of all the comforts of home so taken for granted. I value backtracking trips for the same reason; air conditioning, real mattresses, and showers never looked so good. Electricity and indoor plumbing is a modern miracle. And Mrs Turtle seems quite foreign and feminine.

 

Good for your nephew for making it through the week! Not all boys do. While maybe not a mountain top experience it is an important step on the path to better things! And the stories will only get better with time...

[scoutldr]

Thanks for the feedback and so glad it was a positive experience!  This is what Scouting is all about.  Growing boys into men, sometimes in spite of their parents. 

[UncleP]

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind words, encouragement and advise.  It all helped me to help my nephew a little more.

 

You cannot imagine how much it meant to him to be able to go in-and-out a door without having to sneak through, so he does not wake his father up.  To talk to someone without his mother acting like it is a mortal sin.  To even breathe air that does not smell of his father's flatulence. To him it was a miracle.

 

I think he is having trouble dealing with the other boys, but that was to be expected.  He has not had much of a chance to build social skills.  I cannot help him there, because I have been described as having the people skills of Count Dracula

 

But that might be a good thing.  I think what I need to do is keeping supporting him, but to back off.  To show confidence in him, and to let him try, fail and succeed on his own.  I know he will do good, I just need to act like it.  The most important thing for him to develop the initiative and self-reliance he will need to make it in this world.  I am a control freak, so this will be my big assignment.

 

Thanks to everyone again.

[Hedgehog]

The most important thing for him to develop the initiative and self-reliance he will need to make it in this world.  I am a control freak, so this will be my big assignment.

 

 

The mantra I repeat to the new guys every year is "Scouting is about leadership.  Leadership is about responsibility.  The first step in learning responsibility is being responsible for yourself."

 

Maybe as a congratulations for a good week at camp, you can get him a book on knots and some paracord to practice on.  Ask him to show you how to use a knife safely to cut it into lengths that he can practice knots with and ask him to show you how to fuse the ends of the paracord so they don't unravel (otherwise you would have a frayed knot... get it "afraid not"?) .  He should have learned those skills at camp.  I've found that learning knots (and lashings) are great for kids like your nephew because it is something they enjoy learning and because at some point someone will ask "does anyone know how to tie a bowline knot?" and he will feel empowered.  You could even ask him to teach you the knots he learns using the EDGE (explain, demonstrate, guide, enable) method.  Notice that everything I'm recommending is turning the tables -- he is showing and teaching you what he learned by himself.  How empowering is that?

[UncleP]

The mantra I repeat to the new guys every year is "Scouting is about leadership.  Leadership is about responsibility.  The first step in learning responsibility is being responsible for yourself."

 

Maybe as a congratulations for a good week at camp, you can get him a book on knots and some paracord to practice on.  Ask him to show you how to use a knife safely to cut it into lengths that he can practice knots with and ask him to show you how to fuse the ends of the paracord so they don't unravel (otherwise you would have a frayed knot... get it "afraid not"?) .  He should have learned those skills at camp.  I've found that learning knots (and lashings) are great for kids like your nephew because it is something they enjoy learning and because at some point someone will ask "does anyone know how to tie a bowline knot?" and he will feel empowered.  You could even ask him to teach you the knots he learns using the EDGE (explain, demonstrate, guide, enable) method.  Notice that everything I'm recommending is turning the tables -- he is showing and teaching you what he learned by himself.  How empowering is that?

 

Thank you for the suggestions.  I think I get the underlining theme.

 

I will get him some paracord to practice knots with.

 

He has already located a website "Animated Knots" to learn knots from.  It even has a specific webpage for "Scouting Knots":

 

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexscouting.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.png&Website=www.animatedknots.com#ScrollPoint

 

He likes learning knots, because he can work on it by himself and at hos own pace.

[Hedgehog]

He likes learning knots, because he can work on it by himself and at hos own pace.

 

 

The quieter ones always do.  

 

Get two different colors of paracord.  It is more fun if you can see each rope separately.  Maybe even get a long thick (like an inch) dowel and cut it into three sections for practicing lashing (I did this for my son and he carries it in the scout pack he brings to every meeting).

 

The website you linked to is great.  They even have a phone app.  One other suggestion is to get a book called "Self Working Rope Magic" by Karl Fulves.  It is a great book full of rope magic tricks.

[Stosh]

We give 2 pieces of different colored paracord  to each boy when they join the troop.  They fuse the 4 ends tie two together at one end with whipping.  Then they are "required" to keep it in their shirt pocket and have ready to demonstrate their knot knowledge at any time.  OH, MY Mom forgot to empty pockets before sending through the washing machine!  It's the one thing that didn't get wrecked.    The color combo also tells me what level boy is in the troop and this year's NSP is blue and yellow, last year was red and white, year before that black and white, etc.  The Blue and Yellow boys get more time to demonstrate their knots than the Black and White guys. 

Edited July 23, 2016 by Stosh