You drop your kids off with us every morning during the summer. We greet you with colorful, matching shirts, smiles, and "good mornings." We painfully keep your children engaged during the day while you go to work or enjoy yourself, and have headaches by the time you come to pick your kid up. We are summer camp counselors, and we have a confession to make.

I have asked around to many fellow counselors from all different camps what it is like for them. What do your campers do that drive you crazy? What have the parents done that seemed ridiculous? Along with many other questions. The following occurrences are true, but the names of the campers, counselors, and camp itself have been removed for privacy.

1. Some kids are so cute, we want them as our own.

"As a counselor for toddlers, we have lots of pretend play. During dress up, a boy dressed as a prince was walking around the room asking all the girls if he 'could have this dance' while Disney music played in the background. He even came up to me at one point."

2. Other kids don't keep it "camp appropriate."

"I was sitting at a table during snack with a bunch of campers sitting around/on me. As I was getting up, a six year old smacked my butt twice. I had no idea what to do, it was the first time something like that has ever happened. I ended up making them apologize and later had a very awkward conversation with their mom."

3. We see the outcomes of different parenting styles.

"You can usually tell how the parents treat their kids right away. If the child is acting out, they want attention. If they don't pick up after themselves, that means someone doing it for them at home. Kids who seemed to be obsessed with technology are that way because a parent uses it as a way to distract the kid. If the child goes to the bathroom with the door open... well, that's pretty self-explanatory."

4. We don't want to be mean.

"We need to set ground rules in camp for the safety of our campers. If they don't follow the rules, they have to be disciplined. I hate getting a bad group of kids because I end up having to yell and be mean all week. Its hard to be the friend and the responsible adult all at the same time. I don't want to be the 'mean counselor,' but sometimes they just don't listen."

5. Camp drama is more intense than you think.

"All you need is a camera crew in a camp and you have your own soap opera. One time a boy left a note by one of the girl's seat saying he was her 'secret admirer.' It was cute until the girls of the group started teasing note recipient, and eventually pressured her to 'be his girlfriend.' They were 10 years old. It's so weird to see them try to act like adults when they're just starting out as kids."

6. We have more than one camper to think about.

"When there is a child that needs more one-on-one attention, I feel bad because I have about twelve other children looking for my help. We're usually good at identifying what needs to be worked on, but we have to get around to every kid."

7. Some kids just say the darndest things.

"This kid in my group found a moth and kept it as his 'pet' and claimed that this particular moth was the king of all moths. When the moth died, he told everyone that he was now the king of the moths for owning the ex-moth king."

8. Campers can be a little... odd.

"There was this little girl in my group that creeped me out a little. One day while we were at the pond she came up to me and said that there are bugs in the shape of light switches that only she can see, and goes on to say that there is one on her right now. A few activities later she tells me there are faces on the trees and they talk to her and only her. After that, I never really spoke to that camper again"

9. At the end of the day, we really do love our jobs.

"Being a camp counselor is such a rewarding job. Sure, while you're actually at camp and the kids aren't listening, aren't staying with the group, and aren't participating you get frustrated, but it's when you get home at night or leave when the summer is over that you really recognize how much you care for the campers and how much they made your day for the entire summer. There isn't a day that goes by that at least one camper does something that you will remember and laugh about for days to come. It's also so interesting to see how you adapt to work with all different types of kids and it prepares you for how you will encounter people with all abilities and personalities within your life. I don't think that working as a camp counselor is something that should be presumed to be a just an average summer job for high school or college students, it is a job that provides so many opportunities to grow and realize how you can influence other people's lives."

The summer is finally coming to an end, and its time to hang up our staff shirts. We no longer need to worry about cleaning messes or using the first aid that we were trained to do. The memories will certainly last a lifetime, and some of us might even come back next year.