They say that parenting is the hardest job in the world. We beg to differ. Being a Skylemar camp counselor might just be a whole lot more.
You see, becoming a parent is almost always a slow process. In most cases you have nine months to prepare, and then the rest comes gradually, year after year. For the most part, parents have a whole lot of time to figure it out.
As for a camp counselor…he had just two weeks to get ready. Then…BAM! The kids appear and they’re already seven, or ten or thirteen years old. Not just one to care for, but WHAMMO... Septuplets!
For a cabin of six, that’s 192 teeth to get brushed morning and night, and way too many times to nag about wearing sunscreen. There are shoes to find and socks to pick up. There are beds to make, a floor to sweep and a toilet to clean. Try doing that with all of your kids in the house.
Sometimes there are tears to dry and poorly timed questions to answer. A fair share of arguments to settle, especially between “brothers”. Lots of directions to repeat, and repeat, and repeat. If only they’d listen, a camp counselor thinks. Sound familiar?
There’s no privacy for a counselor, no home office to hide in or video to keep the kids occupied. No master bedroom with the bathroom adjacent. Just a kid-sized cot for a full-grown man, and bathroom shared by the whole family.
Some counselors are quiet, some are loud. Some are “chill” (as per the older guys) while some run a “tight ship”. Some take to the job naturally, while others have more of a learning curve. Some who grew up with us are experts at all-things Skylemar, while a few might forget that they are now the adults who must do whatever it takes to care for those other than themselves.
No matter the style, we know for sure that each Skylemar counselor truly cares for those under his wing. Like you, they hurt when he’s sad and worry terribly when something doesn’t seem right. They call them “my kids” and feel a tremendous sense of pride when one of their own conquers a challenge.
Just like a parent, every once in a while, a counselor loses his cool, or perhaps says something in frustration. Those are the times that they ask for a “re-do”, and almost always do what it takes to clear the slate and trrrrrryyyyy again.
A counselor learns far more in a summer than any college course could possibly teach. Not only have they learned about caring for others and what it takes to keep them safe, but they also master the arts of negotiation, self-discipline, strategy and organization. Take it from us, if you’re looking to hire, these are the finest.
Their shirt says it all. “Staff For A Summer -- Hero For A Lifetime.” It’s for these heroes we are eternally grateful. We love them to the Sky and back... and hope you will too.
