The Top Ten Worries to Leave at Home!

One of the greatest things about camp is, well, it’s not home. There are so many things that you can’t do at home that you DO get to do at camp! These things would be unthinkable (or unallowable) in public, or especially at school. But camp lifts these restrictions, allowing you to be carefree, independent, and confident. Check out our list of top ten concerns to leave at home!

Here is our top ten worries you get to leave at home:

Looking good for the boys. One of the most liberating things about being in an all-girl environment is the absence of the pressures of dolling up for boys. Here at camp, everybody can just be themselves. They are free of the worry about appearances.
Concerns about strangers. At camp, everybody is your friend. You don’t have to be formally introduced, you just figure out who they are and they also begin to recognize you. Then, after experiencing things together, or playing on the same team, you’re suddenly buddies.
Social media drama. No phones, no sweat! Everyone in your world is right there with you, smiling or frowning, face to face.
Chic clothes. Just shorts and T-shirts. Brand name: Heart O’ the Hills, “not your ordinary clothes line”!
Constant concern for staying clean. Everybody’s hair gets wet from the river. So what? Everybody “glows” after they run around. Big deal! As a matter of fact, at camp a grass stain or mud splatter is just part of the lifestyle.
Being “lady like”. While it’s great at the Stewart dance, it’s okay to be loud and proud and strong and independent.
Acting proper. Obviously being silly is part of what we do. “Cool” and “hip” just miss out on the crazy fun.
Babysitting younger siblings. Okay, there are Tribe Sisters at camp. But for the most part, you’re just responsible for yourself.
Decorum at the table. Yes, we have table manners, and food fights are strictly taboo. But once the singing starts after meals, the dining room descends into moderate madness. Table banging, stomping, shouting in unison. You don’t get to do this in a restaurant!
Parental supervision. At camp, it’s fun young counselors who watch over you. They encourage you to do things just beyond what you thought you could. Sometimes it feels risky. You could fail or fall. But it turns out all okay.

The carefree nature of being camp is explained well in an article in American Camp Association magazine article called Inspired Learning through Deep Nature Play.

Kids left to assess their own risks within a safe environment is one topic addressed in American Airlines’ American Way magazine article called State of Play.

Check out our blog on Why it is Ok to Fail at Camp by Rachel!