Royal Family Kids Camp Highplains: Unassuming

Forgive me as I process camp through this conversation with you.

Some have told me, "I can't help at camp.  I'm not a kid person.  I don't know what to do."

One of these is my husband who claims he is not a kid person.  

However, what I do know about him will make him excellent at camp.

He is an unassuming person.   Being the center of attention is just not who he is.  

And yet, I watched him at the sound booth.  One of our little campers struggled with the loud noises and would become very overstimulated and stressed out....until he sat by my husband.

Quietly, this little guy began to share with him.  "I hate loud noises," he said.  My husband smiled and said, "me too!!!!"  

"Sometimes, I just want to cover up with a blanket and hide," the little camper said.  "Me too," my husband said.  He continued, "that's why I love the sound booth.  I can be part of everything, be doing something and still be back from the middle of it."

So my husband taught sound and had him watch time.  They discussed the ins and outs of good sound mixing.

His other job was putting cortisone cream on bug bites and scratches and taking slivers out of feet and hands for the campers in the room we supported.  

One asked him how he knew how to do this.  He said, "I have three little active boys.  One is your big camper."  They acted shocked!

I was so thankful this little group saw a normal Dad, wife and son interact throughout the week. 

 At least quasi normal.  Not perfect.  

We made mistakes.  We apologized to each other, encouraged, reminded the other to be positive or follow directions and set boundaries with each other. 

 "Mom," my son said once.  "Let us figure it out."   I smiled, "Yep, you're right."

And they did.