Getting into the right mindset
This morning was the start of a new week-long summer camp. It’s Cameron’s fifth year attending Camp Invention but it’s Jordan’s first. That means a new environment, new kids and new questions. We’ve been through it many times before but it’s been a while since Jordan went into a totally new environment to meet new kids. (That was Kindergarten last August.)
The camp director called me yesterday to just make sure she had all the information she needed to work with Jordan. Luckily I gave her my favorite piece of advice: Don’t offer to help unless she asks. Jordan can try it all and usually figures out a way.
This morning I gave Jordan a quick reminder… Just because I didn’t want to her walk into camp without the heads up that this was a new group of people. (Although she knows two of the boys in the camp so it’s not like she’s totally out of her element.) I reminded her to pass around her helper arms if there are questions and that she should expect questions.
In the car on the way, I reminded the kids that they may fight at home but I need them to help each other at camp. They need to back each other up. Cameron immediately shared how he plans to help educate older kids if he needs to. Jordan discussed how if a kid asked to touch her arm. She told me she planned to say, “No thank you. But thank you for asking.”
Some day I won’t feel the need to give these pep talks. But for now, getting everyone in the right mindset makes sense to me.
I love your posts. Each and every one makes me smile as I watch Jordan do the say the things I did and thought at her age. She is so outgoing and a strong little girl! I never had the courage to go to camps because of the new crowds. Makes me happy to see how adventurous and happy she is…always! She is very lucky to have such a supportive Mom, family, and limb diference community rooting her on! 🙂
Hooray Brianna! Thanks for the support. We try to do so much “new” that it isn’t too scary. I’ll be honest though… When I was reminding Jordan that she might have new questions, she gave me a look of fear. But the more we talked through it, she warmed up to it. She tells me the day went really well. The camp kids thought her helper arms were really cool.