Wild Intelligence is THE place to be if you're a kid. The mission is to let kids traipse through the woods and play in nature for four hours. Kids learn about animals, plants, bugs, and life. Playing in the creek is allowed. Touching ALL the things is encouraged. Asking one million questions is embraced. The leaders encourage you to bring trash bags for your kids to sit on in the car because they will be so sand-in-their-underwear dirty. If it rains, they go inside a big wooden teepee. Essentially it's the place where you can drop off your kid and let them do all the things you appreciate in theory but do not actually want to participate in.
Kids develop an appreciation for nature, how to identify things that are unsafe in the woods, and hone their skills of imaginary play. The adults mentors show unconditional positive regard for the kids, and kids have a place to explore and get dirty. And they get tired out. Y'all, every week they have a gratitude circle. The things dreams are made of, right?
We found out on Wednesday that there was an opening for the class that started on Thursday. This is the first time The Boy has been old enough to go, so I was stoked. I called The Husband and
I'M JUST GOING TO SEND MY KID WITH A BUNCH OF HIPPIES INTO THE WOODS?! What the HELL were we thinking? I don't have anything against hippies- I love them in fact. But I was catastrophizing, and it was less dramatic to say "I'm just going to send my kid in the woods with a bunch of people who are more knowledgable and patient than I am?!". I was at work when the panic set in, and my friend Leslie looked at the website and vouched for several of the hippies. That helped a little. I mentally scrolled through the list of clients that I have that rave about the program, and they are all sane. And so are their parents. And that helped a little.
I am a local expert on child sexual abuse. I often do classes for parents about talking to kids about sex and safety. I know there is a long pattern of grooming, and that it is very unlikely that a stranger (with no opportunity, mind you) would abuse my child. That wasn't my concern. I'm the opposite of an alarmist when it comes to that.
But there is something alarming about dropping your kid off in the woods with strangers. It sounds bad when I say it that way, doesn't it?
I searched the local parenting Facebook group I'm on, and everyone had nothing but positives to say about the program. They used words like "I've never seen a group of people who are more dedicated to their craft and constantly working to learn, grow, and give on so many levels" and "the effects (on my child) have been nothing short of life-changing" . There were 21 comments on one particular thread and no one could think of anything negative to say. No stories of rushes to the ER, or dramatic hippie commune kidnappings.
It was going to be FINE. He was going to love it. I was excited for him. Well two parts excited and one part nervous. We packed his lunch and water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray. I let him know a little of what to expect. He said "every day they're open I want to go there!"
Yesterday morning he got ready for camp, and then played with some chalk paint outside. I came in to get BeYoYo dressed and this is what I came outside to. Okay, dressing for the part. Let them know what they're getting into right off the bat. My child was probably the only one who had to sit on a trash bag on the way TO camp.
On the way there I asked him how he was feeling about it. He said he was excited, and a little nervous. I asked what part made him nervous and he said "I'm a little scared of going off in the woods alone without you." Uh, you and me both, buddy. I reminded him we would never leave him with anyone we didn't trust. Except for these woodspeople we've never met.....
I wasn't sure how long it would take to get there, so we were the first to arrive. The directions said the drive was across from the mailbox. Oh, this gravel driveway that looks like someone's house? This is not sketchy at all. There was no sign. The first person we saw was a man with dreads and a tattoo across his face. He was barefooted. He waved us in as to say "this is actually the place that you're wondering about." This is SO Athens, I thought.
We signed in with some other adults, and waited for the other kids to arrive. The Barefooted One talked to The Boy so naturally and kindly. The Boy had paint on his face. The Barefooted One had a tattoo on his. The Boy told him he brought a cicada shell in his book bag, and The Barefooted One was genuinely (GENUINELY!) interested, not just interested in the way that adults pretend to be interested. He said he had a cicada shell in his camper too.
The adults gathered all the kids to play a game while they waited. The Boy jumped right in, and immediately was having fun. He never looked back, and of course I didn't want him to.
I stayed with the other mamas and little siblings, watching and talking, until they gathered all the kids and headed off into the woods. He looked back briefly, and I saw him scanning the faces for mine. I waved and told him goodbye, and he waved, happily and bravely, and filed in with a dozen other backpacks to head off into the woods. Goodbye, big boy. I hope you learn so much.
I called Leslie when I left. "He did fine, of course" I told her. "And you?" she asked. "I did fine too, of course." I drove away, leaving my kid in the woods with strangers. And I was okay with that. Now that he's older I imagine this scenario will happen again and again. I was thankful for the many, many people who rave about this program and the confidence they gave me to leave my child there. I thought to myself that the first group that ever left their kids here, with no positive reviews from others, must have been so brave. Or crazy. Or both.
The Husband picked him up. He said he was disgustingly dirty, and he was happy and tired. Yes! Yes! and Yes! Last night he talked and talked, about playing in the creek and peeing outside and touching a spider and howling like a coyote "all the way back to the parking lot!" Well done, Wild Intelligence. I'm sorry I doubted you. We'll be back 9 more times.
The world needs more hippies that hang out in the woods. Today I include them in my gratitude circle.
No comments:
Post a Comment