1. Patience is actually a virtue

Being a camp counselor is hard work. Some of the kids are amazingly easy to work with, and some are more challenging. The challenging ones really do get on your nerves, but you have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. More than likely, a kid isn’t acting up just for the sake of it. He or she probably has something going on that they don’t know how to deal with. Having the patience and maturity to recognize that and talk to the child instead of getting annoyed will help you have a better day, and it’ll help the child feel loved and accepted – which is ultimately the goal.

2. Don’t take yourself too seriously

Anyone who’s been to any sort of camp knows camp songs. Whether it’s neato-repeato or a catch-along song, it’s important not to take yourself too seriously. Whether you see them or not, if there are campers on camp, they are watching and listening to you. If kids see some counselors hiding off in the corner because instead of participating in the all camp game, they’re going to pick up on that and start to think that they don’t have to participate either. So sing the songs, play the games, just interact with your kids. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll have more fun.

3. Be selfless

At Camp Manitou-Lin, we had a saying, “I am Third.” The idea is to put God first, other people second, and yourself third. This isn’t just a suggestion – it’s a necessity. If your campers need something, you do everything in your power to get it for them. If there’s some sort of emergency and you’re scared, you have to push through it and be calm for your campers. As a counselor, your needs come last. There’s no way around it.

4. You’re way stronger than you think you are

Being a camp counselor takes a toll on you, physically and mentally. From trekking all over camp with ten children trailing behind you to one of them literally pushing all of your buttons, the life of a counselor is exhausting. Every night I collapsed into my bunk exhausted, not sure if I would be able to get up the next morning. Every morning, I got up, ate breakfast, and headed over to day camp with a smile.

5. Being without a cell phone is not actually a bad thing

I know, I know, everyone says this, but it’s totally true. Without my phone, I was able to devote more attention to my campers 100% of the time. I like to say that I would have been just as good at my job if I had my phone in my pocket all day long, but I know that I would have likely stopped to send a text a couple of times during the day, and that wouldn’t have been fair to the campers.