How Camp Helps Parents Raise Adults
“The movie Stepford Wives came to mind as I watched my students live their college life still somehow looking to the sidelines for mom or dad’s direction, protection, or intervention as if they were five, playing soccer, and needed a parent to point in which direction to kick the ball. I began to wonder, I…
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[ENCORE] Ep. 98: “Camplifying” the World with Tom Rosenberg
In Episode 98, I’m chatting with Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association. Last year, in Episode 46, we talked about summer camp, accreditation, and #CampKindnessDay (July 20, 2021). In this episode, we talk about the research about the positive impact of camp, our joint passion for partnering with parents to bring camp to…
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[ENCORE] Ep. 39: How to Handle Your Camper’s Homesickness
Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 39, Sara Kuljis (of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp) and I continue our conversations and advice for parents new to the overnight camp experience. In Episode 37, we talked about how…
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[ENCORE] Ep. 91: 4 Reasons Not to Worry While Your Kid is at Camp
Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 91, I’m chatting with my longtime friend and fellow camp director, Maria Horner. Maria and her husband, Tom, have been the executive directors of Catalina Island Camps since 1995. We discuss four reasons why parents…
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10 Reasons Great Parents Choose Summer Camp for Their Kids
My shy, quiet nine-year-old went to camp not knowing a soul. Two weeks later, she came home transformed. She blossomed. She made friends, learned a multitude of activities, felt safe, loved, confident, and happy — really, really happy. As hard as it was on me, it was all worth it for her. It was the…
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Why Can’t School be More Like Camp?
Originally written in 2012, but still as heartfelt today. For more information about the work I’m doing to help educators make school more like camp, visit my speaking page or GATA (Gold Arrow Teacher Academy). Why can’t school be more like camp? Yesterday, my fourth grade son came home from school downcast. It’s his third…
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Happiness Habits
“Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug.” -Og Mandino All of us want our children to be happy. In…
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Ep. 96: Unplugged & Happy at Camp
In Episode 96, I’m talking with my friend Brooke Cheley-Klebe of Cheley Colorado Camps. We cover a range of summer camp-related topics including longer camp stays, adjusting to camp and overcoming homesickness, what it’s like for teenagers to have the much-needed break from screens, video games, and social media that traditional summer camp programs provide,…
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The Blessing of the Least Favorite Activity
Wendy Mogel’s best selling book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, resonated with me. I can relate much of her message to camp and to my own family. I heard Dr. Mogel speak at a camp conference several years ago, and she continues to be active in the camp community. Many of our camp parents…
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Ep. 62: Creating Change Around the World Through the Power of Camp with Phil Lilienthal
When the (campers) get home, parents and teachers, without knowing who’s been to camp, can always tell. Their whole attitude changes. They have more confidence. Phil Lilienthal In Episode 62, I’m chatting with Phil Lilienthal of Global Camps Africa. We talk about his early Peace Corps experience in Ethiopia, forming Camp Langano, spending the next…
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Ep. 46: #CampKindnessDay with Tom Rosenberg
In Episode 46, I chat with Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association about summer camp, accreditation, and #CampKindnessDay. Big Ideas #CampKindnessDay Partnering with Kindness Evolution to promote #CampKindnessDay. Empathy and kindness need to be taught Practicing Kindness at Home The Importance of Story Telling Tom: “Camp is a place where we put those…
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Ep. 32: 10 Benefits of Summer Camp for Teens
It’s those deep relationships that are formed at summer camp that really have a dramatic influence on them. -Stephen Gray Wallace In Episode 32, I’m talking with Stephen Gray Wallace about his recent article for Teen Life : 10 Reasons Why High School Students Will Get a Lot from Summer Camp. Adolescents’ Three Primary Developmental Tasks Forming an…
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