Those darn camp kids!

It’s been a wild summer. Our first foray into “camp” territory. I was initially very nervous, but we all got through it. Zoë loved it, and all in all, I’m sure it was a good experience for her. But, some of the things she learned at camp have come close to pushing me over the edge! I’m not talking about camp activities, I’m talking about social interaction, hanging with other kids, etc.

You see, Kindergarten was great! All the kids in her class were around the same age. Since the kids were all on the same level, they liked the same things, talked about the same things and had similar interests. Then, the school year came to an end and we had to find a place for Zoë during the summer. That was an ordeal in itself. Where do I send her, how do I find a place? Luckily, my BFF is anal like I am and had previously done lots of research. We ended up sending Zoë to the place her kiddos go, King Tiger Tae Kwon Do summer camp. As I reflect, I really like the fact that she attended a Tae Kwon Do camp. They really worked on building character, were huge into good manners and respect, and physical activity. She was worn out each day, which made bed times almost dreamlike for us. (Bedtime hell will have to be another post.)

On the flip side, unlike Kindergarten, during the day kids of many ages interacted. This made for some very interesting home conversations. Here are a few of my favorites:

I’m fat:      I just about fell over when Zoë made this announcement. We don’t discuss body image at home, she’s just 6! I asked her what on earth would make her say that. She said the kids at camp told her she looked fat in her swimsuit. Really? I told her she wasn’t fat at all and not to listen to those kids. She has no reason to worry about her weight.

Will you buy me a bra?:      Until yesterday, I thought nothing could top this one. She asked me, very seriously, “Mom, will you buy me a bra?” WHAT? I asked? You don’t need a bra, you have nothing to put in a bra. “Well”, she said, “the girls at camp wear bras.” I told her I found it hard to believe that a bunch of 6, 7 and 8 year old girls were wearing bras. Well, apparently I was wrong. One of the fun camp facts I didn’t think of was that the girls all change into their Tae Kwon Do uniforms together. I was informed by my BFF’s daughter that the girls did indeed wear bras at camp. Now my 6 year old is bra obsessed. My Aunt has fed into this nonsense and sent her some bras as a birthday gift.

Don’t look at my boobs:     Again, WHAT? Yep, this from the kid who would like nothing better than to walk around all day, anywhere, without a shirt.

I hurt my nuts:      Ding, ding, we have a winner. At our house, we have never used the term “nuts” to describe “boy parts”. Hell, my husband is still mad at me for telling Zoë she had 2 butts, a front butt and a back butt! Mostly we just call them girl parts and boy parts. Well, at our weekly Chick Fil A dinner, she bumped into a chair and announced loudly “I hurt my nuts”. As I choked on my spicy chicken sandwich, I said WHAT? In an even louder voice she said “My nuts, I hurt my nuts!” (My friend said “would that be pecans or walnuts”? LOL!) After a stunned silence I asked Zoë what she meant and she pointed to her girl parts. I said “honey, girls don’t have nuts”. I’m still cracking up over that one!