i dunno wheteher i can i might have to come back for a few days in between, but i may be able to get my camp to sponser me as the fun weekends all year round and they have a school in chicago for children with autism and one of the parents asked me to stay with them to look after there daughter this year..... i must say i was very tempted

doesnt camp america affliate them selves with the au pair program ??? you could be mothers help for a year in america

yeah it does, but i love my camp sooooo much!!!!i wish i was there right now!!!! its a special needs camp!!!

Money is definately a necessary thing for your summer...i spent far too much money because i didnt account for days off, trips and days out etc and then travellinng..wow now that cost alot so just save as much as possible.

Take OLD shoes..and more than one pair because they WILL get destroyed i went through like 3 pair.
Comfy OLD clothes...or clothes ideal for being wrecked.
Take photos of friends and family and something from where you live..i took an england flag..people are always interested especially the kids.
Hoodies are definately an essential there so warm and comfy for the cold night and yes it will be cold at night no matter the weather at daytime.

You will enjoy yourself if you take an open mind and willingness to do hard work..because i wont lie its physically and mentally/emotionally draining after a while..the kids are sweet but hard work...you will miss home but just throw yourself into your job and you'll be fine believe me its the experience of a LIFETIME. I loved my summer at camp and im returning again!

Heya!! Sorry I have a few more questions. On our day off do we still sleep in the same cabin as the children?? And are theer staff shiwers and toilets etc for us to get ready? I know it may doffer from camp to camp but I just wanted a general idea of what to expect.

At my camp we had sessions ranging from 3-11 days, so we had our days off on the session breaks, usually we all moved out of cabins and into Longhouse, which had a bunch of dorm type things so staff were all together. But on our day off during the long session, I think we could stay in either. We had to use the same toilets as the kids, and we could use Dewdrop (the shower house), which the kids also used, but obviously had to make sure there weren't any kiddies about when we showered, or we could go shower in Longhouse, but there were only like two showers so lots of queues!

It really does depend on you camp though, because I was at a Girl Scout camp so we didn't sleep in the same cabin as the kids. Staff were in a cabin, girls in tents surrounding it.

At my camp we all got a day off because the kids stayed for 6 days and the other day was free, but we got 2 hours of TO (time off) a day. There was one shower block for kids and staff but there was a section cut off for staff. And for our day off we all stayed in the staff house.
And my camp was a girl scout aswell so we had staff cabins and campers cabins/platform tents.

At my camp, the kids either stayed for 4 or 8 weeks sessions. Even on days off, you sleep in the same bunk if you are staying at camp, in which you use the same showers and toilets as the children.

It depended on what session we were in it was either 6 days or 13. Then we had 2 hours a day off if we were on duty that night or we had 3 hours off in the night then we had 12;s and weekends off if there were no kids on camp.

Thanks for all the help! Hopefully once im placed everything will become clear!

yeah they usually explain things! and then theres staff training once youve been placed too so it'll b good!

Staff training is amazing you really get to know everyone and you do most of the things the campers do. Really its like camp for staff lol although theres work to do at the same time.
x

lol fun b4 the work! but then agen its not exactly too much work! ! u get to be a big kid all summer! hehe!
and look after the kids.. haha

Yeah that is true when people ask me to describe what i did i was like I got to be a kid again at times lol and then they look at me like Im a crazed person!
x

yeah i know that look!! but then again it gets them interested in doing camp though so it all good