Thoughts from a Camp Dad - New Camper Blog Series

A Quick Drop Off is Good

For the past few years my wife has taken the honors of making the long excursion with our daughter from Memphis to Tuxedo. They stay at a hotel in Hendersonville the night before and go out for a special dinner together. They rise early in the morning, grab a fun drink at Starbucks, and head towards camp. Drop offs are better when they are short and sweet. A hug and a kiss, the reassurance of our love for her, and off she goes. Now is not the time to weep and embrace for 3 hours. Send her off with your fullness. You can weep all you want when you get back in the car, eat your feelings with a camp scone, and drive home.

On Writing Letters/Emails

I personally find writing to our daughter to be a confusing and frustrating experience. I want to shower her with love, but what do I say? I want to ask her all the questions: What did you do today? Did anything surprise you? What did you learn? Who did you sit with? But one-way conversations tend to be challenging. Also - do I tell her how much I love her and miss her? Do I tell her the fun things that are happening back at home? Will that trigger an unintended homesickness? It’s tough. And while this is not the magic solution, here’s what I’ve done for June Camp.

• I try to write a hand-written letter once a week. And an email every 2-3 days.
• I ask some questions. Not a ton. Just enough to show her that I care about her experience there and that I’m curious about it.
• I share with her some relevant things that are happening back home. Nothing that I think might create unnecessary longing in her. But just the normal stuff: Our dog did something silly the other day. Your brother had a piano recital yesterday and crushed it. I pulled my back out from sleeping weird.
• I tell her that I love her, I am praying for her, and that I’m proud of her.
• I also include silly poems and drawings. I make little puzzles and riddles for her to do in her free time. I share with her a list of jokes.

Looking at Photos

My wife and I love to sit down and look through the pics when they get posted. It becomes a bit of a daily ritual for us. My advice: splurge and get the facial recognition thing. Scrolling through hundreds of pics is not fun. When you do see a picture of your daughter, don’t overanalyze it. She isn’t smiling in that one, do you think she’s unhappy? She’s next to that one girl in lots of pics, who is that and is that girl her new best friend? Just enjoy getting to see what she is doing. Let it fill your heart, and then close your computer.

Enjoy the Break

You’re getting some time away from your daughter. Don’t feel guilty about enjoying a little break. It’s good for every relationship to experience some periodic separation. Of course you miss her. We all know that. Just enjoy having a quieter house for a few weeks. After all, she is having way more fun than you are anyway.

Post-Camp Data Dump

When your daughter finally returns home, carve out some special time for an initial data dump. Hear all the stories. Let her show you the arts and crafts she has made. Have her walk you through her schedule. Go through the website pics with her, and have her share with you what was happening in each. Her re-entry will require many of these types of conversations, but we like to do an initial download and data dump while things are fresh. Also, don’t be surprised if her emotions are all over the place. You don’t have Puppy Camp or Candy Shoppe at home, and leaving the Bubble can be a shock to the system.

Thank the Lord

Camp Greystone is an extraordinary gift. Our daughter comes home fuller - more mature, more free, more confident, more self-aware, more caring. Camp Greystone is helping her grow into a lovely young woman. Don’t miss the opportunity to thank the Lord for His extravagant goodness in the gift that is Greystone.