Well, now that I am back from the dead, or the flu that my cub scout gave me, I can head back to my advice on your new Boy Scout.
Previously, I talked about gear...I re read this today and boy, was there foreshadowing I was getting sick or what...talk about a scattered post!
So...now...Your sons first camp out and his first week long camp!
DO NOT VOLUNTEER TO GO! This is that point where I talked about letting go! Now is the time! He will do just fine without you! If he gets homesick, they will handle it! Yes, not the same way a mom would, but they will not tie him to a tree and tell him to deal with it. Remember, they are parents also!
Step one! BE EXCITED FOR YOUR SON TO LEAVE! Dont even think about saying I'll miss you! Say it in your head a hundred times, but dont say it out loud! He is going to be nervous in the first place, your job is to kick him out the door! If he says, I dont want to go, tell him you will be fine, you will have fun and help him pack. The leaders know that all new boys will be nervous!
He has his big pack(I hope). Sit your self down on the couch, and tel him what he should pack. Dont forget, its always colder at night and its February/March so it will be either hot or cold! If you have never packed a big pack, here is how it should go.
In first
Underwear, socks, jeans, shirts on the bottom. Why, they will never get taken out and worn anyway..at least if they are on the bottom, they stay clean. If you live anyway where its cold at night, have him wear his long underwear! If he complains, dont fight about it, just have him pack it. He will learn and I've never heard of a boy freezing to death while his long underwear was in his pack on his back!
Next, sweatshirt then jammies. he is packing the big part of this pack in the order he will use the items. When he gets to camp, providing he leaves Friday night, he will need his jammies first. Yes, I still call them jammies! On the very top, his scout book and camp pillow, hat and gloves(if its cold)
Now your pack comes with a ton of different pockets. The first couple of campouts is like setting up a new kitchen in a new house/apt. You put things away in places but a week later decide it would work better somewhere else. Pick a spot for the toothbrush and toothpaste and floss to go in on the pack (first put in ziploc bag). Then next camp out put them in the same spot. Dont worry, they wont get used anyway. Do the same with the rest of his gear. (minus the ziploc part)
The first aid kit does not have to be a big box you buy from the store. It can be a zip loc containing a couple of bandaids etc.
Frisbee, for a dinner place and silverware and a cup should go in one section, headlamp, rain gear in another etc etc.
Dont forget a deck of cards!
Remember to make him do it. If you put anything in there he wont know what or where it is. Its like if your kids empty the dishwasher and put your favorite bowl in a different spot. You have no idea where it is!
Its ok, the pack will be to heavy, and will be huge on him. You will over pack, he will complain. Its ok. he will survive. You can then attack the sleeping bag to the bottom of the pack and slip the bed roll in there somewhere.
Viola! Packed. Dont forget to have him put his pack on and take a picture! I'll bet he pretends to fall over backwards onto the couch!!
Now, my sons troop, his old one and his current one, leave on Friday Nights. Give you son money for food for the drive up! This was not told to us.... I dont recommend an arch card as there is no guarantee that they stop at McDonalds. Give him a $10 and dont expect change.
If this is a week long camp out, he will need money for the camp store and for events. I recommend putting money into different envelopes for different things. Camp store money goes into an envelope labeled as such! or, ask a leader for help doling it out. Depending on the cost of merit badges he wants to earn, we average sending an extra $50 to week long camp outs. Weekenders, if there is a store there, $20.00 Dont expect change!
If you son is on ANY medication, put only what is needed for the weekend or week, in the prescription bottle, or OTC bottle, put it in a ziploc. Put a note inside with his name, the dose the time needed to take. With a sharpee put his name on the outside of the bag and troop number. Your troop will have a drug guy. You can give this to him in the parking lot.
DO NOT LINGER IN THE PARKING LOT! DO NOT EXPECT A HUG GOODBYE! DO NOT CRY!!!! its ok to wait until he gets in a car to leave. but spend the time talking to the other parents. If you hover over him and coo and aww at him, he will think its not ok to be going. Its like the first time you took him to preschool. You handed him over and walked out the door. SAME THING HERE!
He is old enough to know what is right and what is wrong. There are plenty of adults there to help guide him. He may feel lonely but he will never be alone.
When he gets home....oh that is a funny one...you will never actually know what time he will arrive. The paperwork may say noon, but it could be 10 am or 3pm. So dont make plans. Make sure your son has your cell number and go about your daily routine. My sons troop passes around a cell phone in the car for the boys to call home with an estimate.
When he gets home....he will be tired, cranky, dirty and just plain gross! You will be all excited wanting to know every single detail of every second of his time away. he will shrug and say it was fun and say nothing else. THIS IS GOOD! It means he had fun! You may or may not hear funny stories about what 'belch' did. (they give each other disturbing nicknames, dont ask what his is) Dont pry. Nothing went wrong. Everything was fun and fine! If there was a problem, you would have heard about it already. Trust me, there is at least one mom of a scout whose hubby is there as a SM or ASM who they have talked to. If there was a problem, it would have been relayed back to you.
Last but not least! MAKE HIM UNPACK HIS GEAR IMMEDIATELY, NO MATTER HOW TIRED ETC HE IS. It is his responsibility! Unpack it, just go ahead and wash all of it because it all smells like smoke anyway, make him wash his gear(not clothes if you dont want). If possible hang his pack and sleeping bag outside to air out. DONT LET IT STAY ROLLED UP AND PACKED UP It will mildew!
Once his gear is aired and dried, have him repack the stuff that will always go with him, then let him shower for 20 minutes and crash to video games! :)
Congrats! You have survived your sons first camp out!
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