If you are a summer camp counselor, this article is for you. It's hot, you're sweaty, and you're escorting a group of children around all day long. At this point, your staff shirt is getting annoying to even look at, your favorite sneakers smell from wearing them to and from the pool, and you're on your last leg of patience with your campers.
I understand this feeling more than you know and am here to reinforce to you that you are doing great and other people are right there with you. Also, I wanted to let everyone that doesn't deal with children know what we hear repeatedly screamed at us all day long.
1. "Where are we going?"
With so many different activities, this is a valid question, if and only if it isn't asked five times in 30 seconds.
2. "What do we have next?"
This one relates to the "Where are we going?" question. These kids often make it seem that I don't let them see my clipboard with the schedule, that I don't tell them in the morning what our schedule looks like, or that I don't write it on the board in our cabin.
3. "It's so hot!"
I can't even lie, summers have gotten warmer annually and living in South Florida, sometimes the heat is seriously unbearable for all of us. This statement/complaint is what I'm thinking in my head too, honestly.
4. "What's for lunch/snack?"
At the camp I work at, they serve two snacks and lunch. I cannot tell you how many times I get asked what's for snack, or lunch. After getting asked once, or even twice, I'll usually also get a "wait, I didn't hear, what's for lunch?"
5. "I left _________ at home."
Whether it be a towel, a bathing suit, lunch, sunglasses/hats, someone undoubtedly forgets something at home that they'll need for the day. For all my counselors out there, you know what I'm talking about.
6. "I'm coming!"
After you yell "let's go, we're going to be late!" so many times, you'd think your campers would understand and hustle. They don't understand though, and as much as you can hope that they'll start to hustle eventually, they probably won't. If you are a counselor experiencing this, you are not alone.
7. "It's so hot!" (again)
But seriously, it's almost 100 degrees if it isn't already. I'm barely holding it together as the counselor by the time I get this complaint multiple times, so I get it. However, it's still annoying to hear the same thing yelled at you all day.
Serious props to all the counselors out there, y'all really do the damn thing. Make sure to keep your smile on and push through, no matter how irritating your kids can be, or how hot it gets!
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