Flexibility is probably the most used tool in my Mom Tool Bag. This goes double for my son Christopher who has autism.
When it was time to try out church camp, I had a lot of hesitation and even more questions. I reached out to the event registrar. I told her about Christopher and asked if it would be possible for him to attend and if so, what that would look like. Knowing how much support Christopher needs, I offered to accompany him at the camp to be his personal para to assist him. After discussing it with the Sunday school director, they agreed. My son attended church camp as a day camper, and he and I spent our overnight time at a nearby hotel.
During our first day, I was introduced to the staff and department leaders. Each one thanked me for bringing Christopher. They expressed how excited they were to have him and reassured me they would help in any way possible. They went above and beyond to make sure both of us were taken care of and comfortable. For example, they created a special food menu due to his food aversions and pickiness. They allowed him to sit in the cafeteria to do crafts when it was too hot outside or when campers were transitioning between activities.
While I wanted Christopher to participate as much as possible, I didn’t want to overwhelm him. So, we did what we could and made accommodations for the rest. He loved the outdoor games and bouncy houses, each one matching the camp theme. He wandered around to the different areas, sometimes not understanding all the rules of the games, but each team member worked with his limitations and made him feel special.
I knew some things, like pool time, would be too stressful for him, so he had his pool time at the hotel. He was able to enjoy the water without the stress of a crowded and loud pool. I encouraged him to try every activity, but I didn’t push him beyond his limits or even mine. We took breaks when we needed them. Sometimes it was a walk or some quiet time on his tablet.
Christopher made great memories at church camp, and I got to sharpen my Flexibility Tool. This mom calls that a Win Win!
Carolyn Manning attends church at Walnut Hills UPC in Fredricksburg, Virginia. She enjoys spending time with her boys. She loves finding activities to do with them, whether going to the local farm to pick strawberries, playing at the playground and parks, taking walks and bike rides, or doing random crafts, like making sidewalk chalk with corn starch, water, and food coloring. She loves learning and sharing new experiences with her children. They bring so much love and joy to her life.