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Apologizing Well

Apologizing Well

Because all of us make mistakes in our relationships, an important friendship skill is learning how to apologize sincerely and effectively. Apologizing well when we hurt a friend with our words or actions is a skill we're working on growing this summer at GAC. In just about every conflict, the disagreement or issue is never ALL one person’s fault. Usually both people did or said something that hurt the other person. With campers, we brainstorm examples of conflicts they get into with friends - often minor things like disputes over card games or using an item that belongs to someone else without asking. Sometimes, we unintentionally hurt a friend. Apologizing well includes owning up to mistakes and apologizing for words or actions that hurt another person. A sincere and thoughtful apology is the most effective way to resolve conflicts with friends & family members. Conflicts are a normal part of all relationships, so we are normalizing for campers that all of us - at times - need to apologize to our friends.  These are the simple steps to making a meaningful apology when we’ve done or said something we regret or that has hurt our friend.

6 Steps to a Good Apology

  1. Use the words, "I'm sorry."

  2. Acknowledge exactly how you messed up.

    "I used unkind words that hurt your feelings."

  3. Tell how you were feeling and why you think you did the thing.

    "I was feeling jealous of how well you did at wake boarding, so I made an ... Read more

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It’s Goal Setting Tuesday!

It’s Goal Setting Tuesday!

Today at morning assembly, we talked about the importance of getting outside our comfort zone and getting into our "growth zone" as we try new things at camp. Camper Jojo shared about how she's gotten out of her comfort zone and learned many new skills over her eight summers at GAC. We also talked about setting SMART goals for this camp session.

Comfort Zone & Growth Zone

We talked about how each of us has our "comfort zone" of activities we're accustomed to and we feel totally relaxed doing. When we're trying new things and in our "growth zone," our hearts may be racing a little bit and our breathing can get more audible. We naturally feel a bit of stress and discomfort, because we are experiencing something new. Sharing our nervousness with others, and understanding that most of us feel the same way when we're trying something new, can help us push through the discomfort and discover new things we really enjoy at camp. An example we talked about was going on the high ropes course. Many of us feel nervous about being up so high, but for campers like Jojo, who've been at camp for many years and gone across the ropes course numerous times, it can start feeling comfortable up there. To get in our growth zone at an activity we have a lot of experience with, we need to try a new skill - like going across the course ... Read more

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Today’s Friendship Skill: Introduce Yourself!

Today’s Friendship Skill: Introduce Yourself!

Monday evening at Camper Orientation, we reviewed the important friendship skill (especially when you're at a new place!) of introducing yourself to others. Campers practiced introducing themselves to a camper in another cabin group (since they already met everyone in their own cabin group yesterday). We're already making friends here at GAC!

Resources/Related

7 Simple Steps to Teach Kids to Introduce Themselves

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How to Respond to a Homesick Letter from Your Camper

How to Respond to a Homesick Letter from Your Camper

The Sad Letter

You're anticipating with much excitement your camper's first letter from camp. It finally arrives, and this is what it says... “I want to come home!" "It's awful here." "I hate everything." "This is worse than prison." [caption id="attachment_6038" align="aligncenter" width="1166"] From: https://thoughtcatalog.com/melanie-berliet/2013/08/10-desperate-letters-i-wrote-from-sleepaway-camp-and-the-separation-anxiety-i-still-cant-shake/[/caption]

Your Options

Option #1:  Hop in your car and drive to rescue your child immediately. Option #2:  Take a deep breath and think about possible next steps.  As a veteran camp director with a lot of experience helping campers (and parents) work through the difficult transition that often accompanies being away from home, especially the first time, I would highly recommend you choose option 2. It will be better for both you and your child. Getting a sad letter from your child is difficult, but, as experienced camp parents will tell you, you should expect to receive at least one sad letter during your camper’s time at camp. Letters are usually written during quiet times when campers are feeling more reflective. Often, even when they've written a super sad letter, the camper is actually adjusting well to camp and is letting you know the emotions they felt during a particularly down time (like rest hour or bedtime).

Next Steps

If you feel uneasy after hearing from your camper, here are a few steps you can take (after your deep breaths, of course):