My husband and oldest son have been away for the past week in New York attending a Boy Scout camp. They’ve slept in tents. There’s no electricity, and media devices are not allowed. Loads of life skills are learned all in the beauty of raw nature.
They arrived home today, so I was able to hear stories told by son. I hadn’t talked to him while they were away. The troop actually discourages the boys connecting with family back home as doing so tends to create homesickness. Thankfully, my husband was able to provide periodic tabs on how he was doing in the new environment.
I was told by other moms that going away to camp will change the boys in a good way, but I didn’t really believe them. I discovered, however, that they were correct. My son seems older now, more like a young man versus the boy that I sent away. Maybe it’s just the exhaustion from camp. I don’t know. He told me stories of things they experienced while working towards earning their merit badges. He became quite upset ,then angry, then upset, then angry again when he was relaying how he came in second place for the archery award. He’s a bit of a competitor, so losing does not always set well with him. Another life lesson..
I’m thankful he and my husband have had this time together. One day my son will leave the nest, so I hope to have him adequately prepared, not just academically but in the life skills area, as well. A balanced approach is what I’m shooting for. It makes me teary to think of my children growing up. My husband and I invest so much in their beings and future, so we want to see them succeed, but I still enjoy watching them sleep at night:) And who knows, by the time they’re ready to leave the nest, hubby and I may have retired to a remote tropical island and turned off our cell phones so they can’t reach us-ha! JK..
Off to pack for vacation-loads of school books to take with us.
Ivy League Homeschooling 