Lessons I Learned from Military Children
As a camp director I get to meet and get to know a lot of kids. I get this incredibly unique view on their lives by popping them out of the real world for a week and plugging them into a camp community where they can grow and thrive. Honestly, it’s the best part of my job! Watching kids grow from year to year, seeing how they learn and change, and ultimately getting to see them start to become the person they will grow to be.
We say that Camp Southern Ground is where goodness grows, and most people think that we mean that towards our campers, but really it’s true for all of us. I learn from every camper who arrives on our property. I’ve learned bravery, I’ve learned compassion, and I’ve deeply learned that you never really understand someone until you take the time to learn from them.
April is the Month of the Military Child. For the last 3 years I have had the honor of serving some of these amazing kids, and I wanted to share a few lessons that they have taught me.
“Military Child” is Not a Stereotype
The first thing I learned from the campers we serve from military families is that they are just as diverse as any other group in America. We’ve had military campers of different races, religions, backgrounds, and ability levels. Beyond that, every family is different. Multiple siblings, or only children, mixed and traditional families, and of course with parents from every branch of service!
Seeing the diversity of these awesome young kids helped teach me just how diverse our military branches are, and what a strength that is for our country.
Military Children Can Carry a Weight
Our children from military families can often carry some of the emotional weight from the service and sacrifice of their parents. Children from military families have higher levels of sadness, depression, and anxiety. We often see this expressed at camp, and it’s part of why we provide extra support for these families and these kids. We want camp to be a place of love and comfort.
However, there is good news! Studies show that military families that feel supported by their communities experience less stress and negative outcomes. This means that with a little caring, understanding, and intentional efforts - we can all help to reduce the weight these children carry through the world.
Military Children Are Resilient!
Every summer I am impressed by one of our military campers and it often happens in unexpected moments. It happens when I see a Gold Star child support a new friend who is feeling homesick. It happens when a camper starts to get teary during a flag raising or during campfire - and the whole camp comes around them to support them with love and acceptance. While these children have often dealt with so much in their lives, there are usually the first ones to offer support, and the first ones to make sure no one is forgotten or left out.
Our military children did not volunteer for service, and yet they serve nonetheless. They carry the weight of their families, and yet they show the strength, grit, and resilience that would make any family proud, and honestly, that would make any country proud. We see you, our military campers, and we are incredibly proud to serve you and have you as a part of our camp family.