I Let My Child Quit Girl Scouts

The Bee has decided that she no longer wants to do Girl Scouts.

Part of me is perfectly fine with her decision; besides being able to sleep in on Saturdays I swear I have been suffering a type of PTSD from having my car broken into. Not having to deal with the selling of cookies makes me totally cool with her choice. Another part of me wants her to complete something she started because I really don’t want her to ever feel a ping of regret when she thinks about how things could be. I can totally remember being The Bee’s age and “not feeling like doing anything.” My grandmother, all 4’11” of her, would drag me or my sister out of the house and force us to do the very thing we were refusing to do. Inevitably we would end up enjoying ourselves, forgetting the drama of HOW we arrived at the event.  My mom was a little more loosy goosey; she would join Buffy and me in a day of pajama wearing and chilling. It was all good back then in the moment but as an adult I can’t help but think of wasted opportunities and how one morning sleeping in often turned to weeks sleeping in. This led to a few missed opportunities because I didn’t feel like getting dressed, because I just didn’t want to, because I was so much more comfortable sitting and sitting, staying where I was and content with my comfort zone.

A family of scouts during days of yore.

Now, as high school looms for The Bee, I cannot help but wonder if I am doing her a disservice. In a few short months she will be headed to high school. Gone will be the days of me driving her around and setting up her schedule; she will be on her own, taking the bus to a new school. Balancing new classes, a new environment and she will not have the option to just stop if she doesn’t like it or feel like it. Even though The Dad is in the picture, most of the parenting duties falls to me as The Bee lives with me. I don’t complain; I knew the job was dangerous when I took it however after a six day work week I am tired. My six day week is split between two jobs which are all about helping other people and I cannot describe the amount of guilt I have because I feel that I give my all to everyone but my girl.

When The Bee originally broached the subject of quitting, I had her speak to her troop leader who encouraged her to give it another go. We would head out for meetings but soon it was back to the same old: Not having a complete uniform because she “forgot things at her dad’s”, oversleeping or a conflict in schedule and we would be rushing trying to figure out drop offs, pickups and schedules. It was so much easier to have a lazy breakfast before starting our lazier day and quickly that became the norm. After lots of fussing, nagging and arguing I decided to let it be.

After a few weeks of scout-less Saturdays, Buffy asked me about The Bee not going and actually quitting scouts. Buffy, true to form, gave it to me. She broke it down like this: in her house, scouts and other extracurricular activities are non-negotiable. Buffy’s words, “My kids were chilling too hard Saturday mornings and no child of color has that luxury. Instead of it being their thing, it’s a family thing. Everyone one of us found a way to participate. Cookies were a way to have Mama (my niece who sold oodles of cookies) to myself.” My BIL does scouts with Dill and the whole family gets involved. 

Aside from scouts, The Bee does track and takes piano lessons. She tolerates those activities but her real passion is creating and editing videos, a hobby she seemed to have discovered on her on. Lately she has been writing short stories and creating cover art for the books. I initially always dismiss her attachment to things digital but as she shared some of the projects she was working on  I was quite impressed. Not only has she taken the time to write something, she shared it with me, something I was too scared to do at her age.

The opportunity to have a conversation to revisit Girl Scouts came when I got an e-mail announcing camps. Girl Scouts has so many camp options available and there seems to be something for all. The Bee looked through the brochure and found a few options that made her excited about donning the uniform once more.

Instead of looking at scouting as a chore, we needed to look at it as an adventure. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania’s camp options came to the rescue. There are two options available to support and nurture my creative teen.

Overnight Camps:

Camp Laughing Waters (Gilbertsville, PA)

Camp Laughing Waters features 460 acres of rolling meadows, wide open spaces, a large swimming pool with lights, an athletic field, hiking trails, archery (4th grade and above) and horseback riding. In addition to their chosen program theme, all campers will participate in traditional camp activities (weather permitting) which may include swimming, arts and crafts, cookouts, campfires, hikes, nature activities, singing, and games.

Camp Mosey Wood (White Haven, PA)

Camp Mosey Wood is located in the Pocono Mountains on 425 acres and features a beautiful lake. In addition to their chosen theme, all girls experience traditional camp activities including swimming and boating on a daily basis (weather permitting).  Other activities include arts and crafts, cookouts, campfires, hikes, nature, science, singing, archery (*4th grade and above at all campsites), climbing wall (6th grade and above), teambuilding activities, and wishing candles. All girls sleep in platform tents.

Camp Wood Haven (Pine Grove, PA)

Located in Schuylkill County, Camp Wood Haven has 200 beautiful acres of forests, meadows, and protected wetlands. Choose from a great selection of leadership, horse, animal, and trip programs with fun themes to make this your best summer ever. All girls enjoy swimming and age-appropriate activities like archery, low ropes, climbing wall, teambuilding, arts and crafts, journey activities, and more (weather permitting). Girls in grades 6-12 design their own activities in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” program.  Campers may live in a tent, Adirondack shelter, or a treehouse with beds and mattresses.

Day Camps:

Camp Mountain House (Allentown, PA)

Mountain House is a wooded sanctuary located in Lehigh County minutes away from Allentown. This popular day camp has two large cabins, a picnic pavilion, a nature trail and new this year, an outdoor stage for performances. In addition to their chosen theme week, all girls experience arts and crafts, archery, teambuilding activities and daily swimming offsite.
Shelly Ridge Day Camp (Miquon, PA)
Located just outside Philadelphia in Montgomery County at GSEP Headquarters, Shelly Ridge offers 113 acres of meadows and woodlands, an indoor activity lodge, and a large swimming pool. All girls who attend Shelly Ridge Day Camp experience a special themed week in addition to traditional camp activities including swimming, arts and crafts, archery, sports, and outdoor exploration.

Valley Forge Day Camp (Valley Forge, PA)
Valley Forge Day Camp has plenty to offer girls with a sports field, archery, Nature Shack, pool, and ample climate controlled indoor spaces including an art studio, kitchen facilities and multi-purpose rooms. In addition to the listed themes for each week, campers will also swim every day (weather permitting), visit Valley Forge National Park each week, and enjoy other traditional camp activities.

Take a look at what Girl Scout has to offer. The full camp guide can be accessed here. Financial Assistance is offered but hurry! The deadline is April 30th.

The Bee choose a camp that will allow her to have new experiences and enhance the things she already knows. We have learned that Girl Scouts offers options for “troopless” girls and we are exploring this option for a more flexible scouting experience. Quitting scouts was actually a good thing. She learned on her own that she enjoyed the activity and how to manage her schedule for what works best for her.

Her enthusiasm excites me. The camps offer activities which are both familiar and comfortable but will challenge her.

Tell me…have you ever let your child quit anything? WOULD you?

r’s note: I was offered a week of camp for my daughter in exchange for sharing this post. All opinions are my own.