Re: arachniphopia
Lynn Whited (whited@ASTROSUN.TN.CORNELL.EDU)
Wed, 5 Jul 1995 15:19:46 EDT
Seven Lakes Girl Scout Council has (or had) a BEEC in a Bag (environmental
center program) on spiders several years ago aimed at Brownies and Juniors
(1st - 5th grades). I'm pretty sure it is still available. If you would like
to contact them their phone # is 315-539-5085. The person in charge of the
BEEC programs is Sue Clair. She might even have some other suggestions for
you!
Speaking from personal experiences, a good antidote to cope while at camp would
be to keep the boy EXTREMELY active, so that he is so tired at night, he
just falls in to bed, with out thinking about the spiders. I'd suggest making
special arrangements for me time for him out of his tent (if you have such
time) and limit his tent exposure to night time only, while he is learning to
get handle on his fears. My daughter used to be afraid of thunder and
lightening (to the point of neruosis) when she was younger. Her first year
of camp, I kept waiting for that phone call that the counselors could not
longer deal with her. The week she went there was a thunder storm every night.
At home she would wake up at the first rumblings and cower in fear, cuddling
us until the storm subsided. The phone call from camp never came, when we went
to pick her up at the end of the camp session I expected to hear about how
miserable camp was...I was wrong again. I talked to her counselors and found
out the girls were in their tents asleep before the storms hit every night
except for two, and my daughter never even woke up. The other two nights
the counselors sat with her while she fell asleep, but they noted that she
was fine as along as they stayed with her until she fell asleep. In talking
with our daughter afterwards, she admitted that she never heard the storms,
(and vaguely remembered the two that hit while she was up). On the advise
of a friend (who is also a couselor) we taught her everything we could about
thunderstorms. Everything from how to be safe in them, to why they occur,
and how the lightening and thunder occur. She has been going back to camp
every year, enjoys backpacking and canoeing, and has her fear under control.
Yes, she still jumps when it starts to thunder and yes, she admits she is still
scared of it, but the fear no longer controls her.
As a side note, her fear was probably triggered when our home was struck by
lightening (while we were in it) when she was about 2 years old. Maybe if
you can discover the source of this boys fear, it will help you to get him
through those camp outs.
Hope this helps.
Lynn
=============================================================================
Lynn Whited | Junior Troop 401
ljw5@cornell.edu | Junior Program Consultant
Cornell University | Canoe Instructor / Leader
607-255-3727 | Seven Lakes Girl Scout Council
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Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
