9 year old went on school camp

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Hello,

My 9 year old just got back from an overnight school camp. I thought I'd share with you the experience of getting him organised!

I decided I wasn't going to do all the packing for him, but that we'd do it together.

So I tell him to get the list and we'd get started. 20 minutes later - where has he gone? Oh he's distracted by a bionicle that was on the table next to the list.

OK. Jimmy - bring the list to your room. It took about 10 minutes to get his attention off the bionicle and back to the task of packing for camp.

OK. Jimmy, you read the list, we'll find the stuff together and pack it in your bag.

Jimmy reads first item on list - 'Sleeping Bag'.

I go and get the sleeping bag from the cupboard under the stairs. I go back to Jimmy's bedroom and he's absorbed in a book.

Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy! 10 minutes later I manage to get his attention away from the book and back to the task.

Jimmy, let's practice rolling up the sleeping bag and putting it back in its bag. We practice for 10 minutes but Jimmy can't do it. He starts to meltdown. So we practice him asking another kid to help him. Practice for another 10 minutes. I pretend to be the other kid - roleplay etc. Great! He can do it!

I put the sleeping bag in his bag!

Great. 50 minutes and we have first item packed.

Jimmy, what's next on the list? Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy is absorbed in his book again.

You get the idea .....

2 hours later we have the bag packed.

I put in plastic bags and tell him that they are for his wet and dirty clothes.

Then Jimmy and I discuss what to do if he is overloaded and needs a few minutes to himself. We roleplay/practice asking a teacher for some time alone. Jimmy is worried he won't be allowed. So we write a letter together to give to his teacher.

Jimmy goes off to camp and reports he had a fabulous time.

I get home to unpack the bag. He's put his dirty, muddy shoes straight in the bag. His wet towels are straight in the bag. So everything is wet and muddy.

I don't care because I'm so pleased he had a good time.

Next year we'll have to practice/role play putting dirty, wet clothes in plastic bags before packing in his bag.

Regards
Helen

Awwwww!

Glad he enjoyed it.
You should not have bothered with the plastic bags <G>
Thank you for sharing.

I did the plastic bags for my mom
she was the one who did all the laundry-and I love my mom
I have to give her a hug now

I sometimes think I hug her too much but she always says I am the best hugger
I remember we took her camping once-she was all scared that she would be a wet blanket and wouldn't enjoy it
she had a blast-only thing she wouldn't do was touch worms when we went fishing