Category Archives for Happiness

Ep. 74: Why Summer Camp?

Why do parents send their kids to summer camp? Is your kid going to camp this summer? Congratulations! You’re giving them an experience that may have many life-long, positive benefits. You are giving them the opportunity to grow and develop skills and character traits that are often hard to develop in the comforts of home.…

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9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults

9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults camp secret#1 Connection Comes First Creating a close and connected family culture that promotes positive, lifelong relationships is the most important thing we can do for our children.Social connections, more than athletic or academic accomplishments, predict happiness and success.Forming a positive, nurturing relationship with your child…

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7 Reasons to #optoutside

Next to unplugging, one of my favorite things to talk about is spending time outside. In fact, I believe the combination of unplugging AND spending time outside may be the answer to many of life’s ills. I know that combination works for me. A few years ago REI started their #optoutside initiative: Last year we…

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Being Boss

“You have to build a life you love as if it’s your job. Because it is.” Kathleen Shannon & Emily Thompson, Being Boss When I was four years old, my pre-kindergarten teacher wrote on my report card that I was “bossy.” I didn’t see that comment until many years later – as an adult –…

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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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How to get Closer to your Kid in 5 Minutes a Day

One-on-Ones On our counselor job description, one of their duties is to “check in with each camper, every day.” We call these check-in meetings “One-on-Ones.” Counselors ask campers specific, open-ended questions to elicit how campers are feeling. The counselors ask about their friendships, activities, how much they’re missing home, what’s going well, and if they…

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My 24 Hours Unplugged

It was fitting that I finished reading The Village Effect: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make Us Healthier and Happier(Susan Pinker) just a day before participating in the National Day of Unplugging, a day when thousands of people commit to going 24 hours without their phones. After reading Pinker’s book, I had a heightened awareness of…

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