Our Kids Share: Growing Up On Campus
On our Decatur campus, we are blessed with awesome house parents who have served for many years. With that gift has also come the blessing of their biological children who, for the most part, have only ever known life on a Children’s Homes campus. We thought it would be fun to hear from some of them as they share some of their perspectives on day-to-day life and how life at ABCH has helped them see life outside of themselves.
Brothers, Cage and Conley, have lived on campus most all of their lives with house parents Dane and Dana Davidson who have served as our Boys Cottage House Parents for ten years.
Conley, 9
Tell us a little about you:
I’m in third grade. Math is my favorite subject. I like sports—baseball. I play catcher.
What’s it like living here and sharing your home with other kids?
Not a lot of peace. No peace and quiet (the family all laughs, as Conley is always straight to the point). I always play with the kids here; they’re my friends.
What are some of your favorite things about living on campus? Are there ways it’s hard?
I like playing basketball and playing the PlayStation. Hard? No, not really.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
Hmmm . . . Actually, I have one—no, I got hurt that day—basketball hit me in the head. Swimming at the pool is my favorite.
Cage, 14
Tell us a little about you:
I’m in ninth grade. I like to play football; it’s probably about the only thing you’ll find me interested in. And I like to hang out with friends.
What is it like to share your home, space, and parents with other kids?
Sharing my parents isn’t that difficult; I think about it as, I need to share my parents because these kids don’t have anybody to take care of them, to help them . . . Sharing my space can be harder; it was more difficult when I was younger, like it’s always about you, but when you get older, your parents help you understand it’s not about you.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
Camp that we always go to. I love to do that at Shocco. It’s a good experience to get away from everything else for a weekend and gather with everybody I don’t normally see like friends I have from other campuses or homes. I love free time and swimming at the lake, jumping off the bouncy thing into the water.
How do you feel like your experience growing up on the Decatur campus has impacted you and the way you see the world?
I think the kids that come to live here are more grateful for things that I think I would take for granted. Like going out to eat. I take that for grated, but a lot of kids have never done that, like at a sit-down restaurant. It helps me not to take stuff for granted—as much as any 14-year-old kid who lives with their parents could.
Abby and Ella are the oldest and middle children of Daniel and Melanie Lee, house parents for our Decatur Shelter Care home who have served for nearly six years.
Abby, 9
Tell us a little about you:
I like playing golf, basketball, football, and I like to play frisbee with my sister. I like pets. I have a turtle and a fish.
What’s a normal day like here for you?
Like today, it's just really normal, cause it's so quiet. But then (after school) the teenagers come . . .. We do chores; mine is sweeping—it was doing dishes, (she whispers: But I do not like that chore), so I changed to sweeping.
What are some of your favorite things about living here?
That I get to meet new people and that I get to hold babies. And that I get to make new friends every time people come here. And there’s more stuff to do.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
Swimming at the pool here. Playing basketball with the boys at second cottage.
Ella, 7
Tell us a little about you:
I am 7. My name is Ella, and the fun I like doing here, is helping with the kids. I help my mom with playing with the kids.
What’s a normal day like here for you?
A normal day here for me, is (like) my birthday, normally. (How so?) Because . . . kids are here already. (We conclude, it’s like when you get to hang out at a birthday party, but here, you don’t have to do the inviting.) I love cooking and playing with my mom. We also do chores. I want one chore, but my mom says I can’t get it—washing the dishes. I want to wash dishes. My chore is wiping the table.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
I have a lot of memories—going to the beach, going to the zoo.
What are some of your favorite things about living on campus? Are there ways it’s been hard?
Sometimes it’s hard to share time with my mom and dad. I like to play on our playground and go to other cottages here. And I like to play with the kids outside, climb trees, skate, and go to parks. It’s kind of fun living here because we get to help them learn about Jesus, and it’s fun going to church.
Jack and Cade have lived on campus the longest, as their dad, Dr. Michael Smith, is the campus director and has served kids and families in Decatur for close to 20 years.
Jack, 16
Tell us a little about you:
I’m in tenth grade at Decatur High School. I play tennis for the Decatur High team so most of my time is focused on that. I also like traveling with my family and going to sporting events.
What is it like to share your home, space, and parents with other kids?
I’ve always lived on a campus, so I really don’t know anything different. There are always people to spend time with, so that’s nice.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
Spending time at the pool during the summer and the events we have on campus are my favorites. There are too many to count.
How do you feel like your experience growing up on the Decatur campus has impacted you and the way you see the world?
I understand that everyone has struggles. I see the value in everyone, and it’s made me more sensitive to other people.
Cade, 18
Tell us a little about you:
I’m a senior at Decatur High School. Now that my high school basketball years are over, I’m enjoying not having practice every day. Most of my time now is spent working after to school to save money for college.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
My favorite memories are spending time with other kids on campus. Some I have grown up with and become close friends.
What are some of your favorite things about living on campus? Are there ways it’s been hard?
I always enjoy the events we have on campus such as cookouts or fellowships with churches. Camp of Champions is also one of my favorite times. Nothing has been really hard for me. Sometimes I see my dad worry about things with the kids on campus.
How do you feel like your experience growing up on the Decatur campus has impacted you and the way you see the world?
I like spending time with kids younger than me. I think growing up here has made me appreciate the best in others. I understand some people come from difficult backgrounds. It has made me more caring to grow up here.
Learn more about our homes for children here.