I was never a counselor but i’ve been in camp as a staff member and my close friends were counselors and so i understand the relationship between counselor and camper and I think that I would probably feel more comfortable taking the money from the parents… (that was such a run-on lol) i feel that it’s easier to accept money from a stranger than from someone you are close to… even if you don’t feel particularly “close” to your camper, if you’ve been living with your campers for two weeks- sharing a room, eating meals together, and cheering for the same things, you kind of feel connected, no? you watch them grow, give them all you’ve got, make them feel better when they need comforting and make them smile- and i think that if the camper hands you money in middle of all of this, you kind of feel like it’s a business deal rather than a wonderful summer experience and a chance to give to someone and understand what it feels like to be a nurturer for a bit… The parents, on the other hand, meet you one random sunday and say thank you for looking after my child- here is a token of appreciation… and that feels ok because you are receiving a gift from somebody and don’t have to feel like the child is rewarding you for giving to them… Do I make any sense??? lol
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