I shouldn't include fear in the title because it suggests that this is a bigger issue than I think it really is. But since I use this place as my Fortress of Solitude I have to vent a little.
In a few weeks my son is going to begin his first Summer at a new camp. It comes highly recommended and it has a number of things about it that I truly like, but, there is always a but I am nervous.
I am nervous because no one will love him or care for him like his family does. I am nervous because he is a kind and sensitive boy who I really do not want to see hurt or upset. I want camp to be a wonderful experience that he loves and treasures.
But I know that as part of his socialization he needs to learn how to get along in many different situations and that sometimes he will be in places where people may not be as nice or as caring as they could or should be. So it really is important that I allow him to participate in things that help him grow and help him learn how to take care of himself.
Of course he is not being sent to a place that we have not checked out. He is not being sent to a place where I have any real fear for his safety, aside from the normal concern of any parent. And that normal concern is enough, it is the kind of thing that can be paralyzing if you allow it to be. So you cannot constantly focus on what can happen. All you can do is try and provide some guidance and try to make sure that they are as safe as they can be without forcing them to live in a bubble.
So what can I say, I am just another concerned father who loves his children very much.
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