Camp hoo-has.

So last night was the first night I felt like a Mom figure. As a housemaster, I put on my Mom hat and went with it. We have had a hysterically homesick little girl in my house for the past two nights. It's been a bit rough. The first night, she wouldn't really say anything but just cry and repeat "I don't know." Well, last night, her true colors showed. S gave the dramatics. Complete with "[the last camp] tore my heart and ripped my emotions and ruined me!" exclamations. Yeah, she really did say that, and yeah, I really had to restrain myself from laughing (that was a feat of strength, I tell ya).

That little bit was only the tip of the iceberg. After many requests saying "You need to calm down before we do anything else" and "older girl voice, please," the Mom-in-me gave her the looks that I wasn't going to accept her hysterical behavior. (She was seriously rocking back and forth... claiming tightness of the chest... rolling her eyes and pretending to vomit... etc... all I have to say, good thing I can tell the difference between bad/something to be concerned about and terribly fake. Or I might have been super worried.) She, of course, stopped, and it was kinda fun to see my tactics work.

Throughout the thirty minutes S stayed with me, she bursted into "song" with tales of her previous camp woes, why things can't work at SIG, and why she's a visual person and needs to touch her Mom. She ran the whole gamut. I feel bad for her because of a similar background, but I know she has to toughen up, become less dependent on her Mom, and not play the hysterical victim. Sounds harsh to say towards a 10-year-old, maybe. But it's what's needed. She has to deal with the cards she's been dealt. Thankfully, her Mom is on board with the rest of us and surprisingly enough, not clingy to her daughter (though misses her, of course... but she wants the best for her girl). GREAT sign, especially since it's her only child. (This woman is just plain awesome, too. She's from the South, has tried her best, and genuinely respects and trusts us; it means a lot.)

Another key point of the evening, S and I differentiated between what is a "strong cry" and a "hysterical cry." We can cry if we want (as she mentioned, "I have to cry or... or.... I'll just EXPLODE!"), but then we need to be positive afterwards. No more dramatics. No more not wanting to find a solution. The conclusion of this evening is that she's going to try out camp for a week and then, we will reevaluate on Sunday. So in adult craftiness, we'll keep doing that procedure until the end of camp! I know. Terrible to trick a little kid. You gotta do what you gotta do to help a kid out. :P

This ends the first update of the gifted camp experience. Many more stories to come.

- Miss Chelsea :)