Being a day camp counselor requires patience, endurance, knowledge, training, but most importantly, it requires communication; communication with staff, with parents and, especially with the campers. Here are a few lessons we can all learn from the successful communication between day camp counselors and campers:
Confidence
Do you ever notice why some people are always heard? No matter what they say, people listen. This is because these people exude confidence, so do camp counselors. Day camp counselors understand that kids listen to confident speakers; so speaking with authority and confidence is a must.
Directness And Conciseness
Camp counselors know how give directions clearly. They also know that campers are little with developing attention spans, so they make their directions as concise as possible. Tangents cause both the counselor and the camper to loose sight of the task at hand. Being direct and concise helps kids understand what they need to do a simple, straightforward way. Sticking to the point guarantees a task will be completed without anyone getting frustrated.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is catchy!! If the counselors are enthusiastic about a task, the campers will be, too. Day camp counselors talk about activities and tasks with tons of enthusiasm, because it helps motivate campers. (And, lets face it, most of the activities are as much fun for counselors as they are for campers!)
Gentle Boundaries
Learning boundaries is an important part of growing up and understanding the world around us. The mistake some of us make is to enforce boundaries too harshly. This only makes both parties angry and hurt. Counselors know that guarding and enforcing boundaries in a gentle way teaches kids that most boundaries are to protect either one’s self or one another. They key is persistence. Saying “no” doesn’t have to be harsh, but counselors know not to back down.
Communication is Key
For both counselors, campers and parents, communication is the key to a great camp experience and to a successful life! The day camp counselors at Young Peoples Day Camp of Staten Island have been communicating with 4 generations of kids. Many of these kids went on to become counselors and then send their own kids to camp. Contact us for more information on how what your child can learn from an experienced counselor.