quitting

We're now 2 weeks into summer break (for the kiddoes anyway...I still have class, ugh). It started well. A week of Art Camp that both kids enjoyed. Lazy afternoons of too much TV. Evenings of grilling out and playing with neighbors.

But then we hit week 2, the week I had signed The Girl up for Girl Scout camp, and we hit a snag. Turns out The Girl hates Girl Scout camp. We signed her up thinking she would enjoy it, but no. It's hard to get a straight story from a very dramatic 7-year-old, but her angst seems to stem from a combination of strict leaders (who don't let them splash in the creek!), boredom with too little activity planned, and feeling left out and lonely in this large group.

Now, we know another girl who is at this camp who seems to love it, so there's not anything seriously wrong with the camp. I'm sure most girls love it. But My Girl doesn't.

So what do we do? We've already paid for 2 weeks. Should she stick it out and hope it gets better? There's value in learning to carry through with things even when it's hard. No doubt. I don't want to teach my kids that quitting at the first sign of difficulty is OK.

BUT, summer is short. Girl Scout camp is not necessary. Childcare is, but Art Camp will gladly take her next week.

This has been a long, hard year for My Girl. She had to carry through with 2nd grade, even though she didn't want to go almost every single day. She also had to stick with piano when she didn't want to practice and stay on the softball team when she wanted to quit. Those were good lessons - school is not an option; she loves how much piano she can play now; she ended up having a great softball year. We've taught her at least a little that you can't just quit, not always.

But sometimes you can.

I remember what it was like to stay at a camp that I didn't enjoy, even though there was nothing wrong with the camp and everyone else seemed to be loving it. It didn't get better. I hated it as much the last day as I did the first.

I remember what it was like to endure a job position that was not good for me, even though everyone around me seemed to be having a good experience. Though I learned a lot from that time, I came home with scars.

My Girl is only 7. I'd like to give her a scar-free summer.

And so we're taking the easy way out and pulling her from camp. Maybe it's the wrong decision. Maybe I'm letting my own angst get in the way of a better lesson. But for this week I'm opting for responding to her desires. This week the lesson I'm choosing is What-You-Like-Matters.

Sometimes quitting is OK. Sometimes.