Is your teen ready for a summer job but you would still like them to spend some time outdoors being active? Did they love summer camp as a child? Are they great with younger kids?
What better way to spend the summer than as a camp counsellor!
This will teach them responsibility, allow them to gain independence and give them the opportunity to earn their own money.
Here are eight reasons to encourage your teen to consider becoming a camp counsellor this season.
Gets them moving
What could be more active than chasing kids around a campsite all day? Your teen will be kept on their toes (literally) at camp with long days on their feet. Their duties might include managing hiking, swimming, sports and other activities with the kids.
There won’t be many moments to rest but that just means more fun!
Gives them life skills
Training to become a camp counsellor can be quite extensive. Your teen might learn CPR, first aid, swim safety and other important skills. Once they are on the job, they will naturally learn things like time management, public speaking and leadership while in this role.
It will even get them back to the basics like making sure they wake up on time, making their bed, eating on a schedule, making their own food, keeping their living space clean and maybe even doing their own laundry.
Helps them build confidence
Becoming a camp counsellor automatically puts your teen in the position of a leader. Knowing they oversee what the day looks like for children younger than they are gives your adolescent a sense of power and confidence that they may have never had before.
Teens tend to rise to the occasion when they are given the independence they so desperately crave. Then, before they know it, they have done things they never even thought they could, like helping two campers resolve a conflict.
Ensures time away from technology
Does your teen need a “digital detox?” There is no better place to get away from the screens than a camp where phones are forbidden (or limited/scheduled).
The best part? It isn’t you nagging them to put down the tablet or turn off the videogames all day!
Teaches them what it’s like to have a job
Working as a counsellor at a camp looks great on a resume but it also teaches real-life employment skills that you don’t usually find on paper. Working with other counsellors, they will learn what it is like to deal with fellow employees with varying opinions and backgrounds.
They will have a supervisor that they will build a relationship with and will learn how to lead and manage a team (of rambunctious kiddos).
Lets them share their talents and skills
What does your teen love? Are they an artist? A sports star? An animal lover? Being a camp counsellor allows them to share their interests and talents with other kids. It gives them a chance to become a role model and may even reignite a passion they had when they were younger.
Nothing is more motivating than being seen as the expert at something. Teens often connect with younger kids in a way adults can’t, and this can help them open the door to new opportunities that the children at camp may not have experienced otherwise.
Allows them to make memories
If you talk to an adult that went to camp as a kid, chances are they have at least a few memories that stand out to them from that time. Maybe they met their best friend at camp or that’s where they learned they had a knack for teaching, and it helped start them on their career path.
No doubt your child will come home with more than a few stories of the awesome things they experienced this summer.
Gives them a new appreciation for you
In my opinion, this is the biggest benefit to your teen being a camp counsellor.
We don’t have to tell you that being responsible for people younger than you is hard work. Your teen will learn what it is like to teach, guide, care for and schedule children that depend on them. All the things you have been doing for them since they were born. Don’t be surprised if they come home to give you a great big hug and thank you for all you have done.
If you think your teen is ready to take the leap into the employment world this summer, becoming a camp counsellor may be the perfect fit for them. Learn more and check out some counsellor opportunities at bccamping.org.