A Mom Her First-Time Camper
As we near mid week of Session 2, I wanted to share a quick story from one of our first-time camper parents. Her son Price just returned from Starter 1 Camp. Enjoy Amanda’s story!
I always looked forward to sending my children to overnight camp at Huawni! My siblings and I spent some of our best and happiest summers there, and I couldn’t wait for my oldest son to get to experience that. I knew that this was an opportunity for him to gain a lot of independence and confidence and I was sure that the Huawni family would help mold him into the kind of upstanding person I want him to be. But as the time for him to leave approached, I got nervous. Would he be homesick? Would he make friends? Would he shower?!
Drop off was a little too smooth and easy. The counselors excitement was contagious, and within a half hour of arriving, my boy’s bunk was made up and he was in his swimsuit and waving over his shoulder as he headed to the pool. He was definitely not worried about missing us! That first night at home without him was a little rough. I worried about things I hadn’t sent with him and wondered if he was sad without us. Seeing photos on Camp Minder the next day of him grinning and playing set my mind at ease for the rest of the week. I knew he was having a blast and I loved looking at pictures every day and seeing how much fun all the kids were having. I emailed him several times, but he was too busy to write much back.
He grew and inch and matured a year in that short week! – Amanda J.
I was so excited to get to Closing Day and hug Price. I swear that he grew and inch and matured a year in that short week! He was happy to see me, but also having fun with all of his friends still. I loved seeing him hug his counselors, girl campers, and older boy campers. It’s amazing how much these kids bond in six short days at overnight camp. He was confident, tan and sweaty, but he definitely showered during the week! We loved seeing the video of all the fun stuff they did.
We have now had two straight days of Huawni stories and jokes. He is already excited to go back for a two week session next year, and his sisters can’t wait for it to be their turn. We are thrilled with the whole experience, but last night before dinner he volunteered to bless the food and his prayer was much more mature and sincere than it normally is. Afterward he said, “Yeah, I learned some good new prayers at camp”, and my love for Huawni went up to the next level.
Camp Huawni is an ideal way for children to gain some self sufficiency, independence and confidence away from their family for the first time. – Amanda J.
It’s a scary time to be raising a child. Social media and technology have exponentially increased the “bubble effect” that our kids are living in, and it’s difficult to give them the perspective that they desperately need. Camp Huawni is the best way I can imagine to do just that. They get a chance to meet a group of almost entirely new people, but in a loving and secure environment. The counselor ratio ensures that no one gets left out or treated unkindly. They get away from technology completely and they get to discover how much fun it is to have a mud fight, eat watermelon (or a worm) and swim in a pond. They find that sports can be a lot of fun, and not just cut throat competition. Camp Huawni is an ideal way for children to gain some self sufficiency, independence and confidence away from their family for the first time. In a day and age that we have to worry about bullying and school shootings, its a tremendous gift for these kids to get to enjoy trailer rides and sing song and for their biggest worry to be applying bug spray and sunscreen.
Amanda J.- Session 1 Parent
