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. 52: 9 Ways to Help Kids Process Summer Camp and Other Experiences
In Episode 52, Sara Kuljis and I chat about ways to help our kids process experiences. The ideas work for post-summer camp debriefing but also for our kids’ other adventures and experiences. Sara is a 20-year veteran camp director and parenting trainer who has great insights and ideas about parenting and counseling kids. Sara, with her…
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5 Tips for Surviving Your Child’s First Stay at Overnight Camp
Your child’s at summer camp? That’s so exciting! And hard. For some of you, an internal “WA HOO!” went off as the bus filled with excited campers and their duffle bags pulled away. But for others, this whole experience of your child not being home is really hard and causes some emotional distress. In hundreds…
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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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Ep. 122: How to Connect with Your Teen with Chris Thurber
Show notes & links available here. In this episode, I’m chatting with Dr. Chris Thurber, a legendary trainer in the camp industry and a clinical psychologist who works at Phillips Exeter Academy, about how important it for parents to connect with their teens. Chris has developed online training programs for educators and youth leaders around…
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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. 81: The Power of One with Travis Allison
“My great passion around camp is to get more kids there, because I really believe that every kid should go to summer camp.” In Episode 81, Travis Allison and I discuss the power of one person to make a huge impact on a child’s life, not only at summer camp but also in the home.…
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100 Questions About Summer Camp
Over my three decades as a summer camp director, I’ve been asked thousands of questions about camp from parents, campers, and young adult counselors. Much of my research, writing, podcast topics, and speaking has emerged from these questions. Do you have a question about summer camp? Send an email message to my team. Deciding on…
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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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Ep. 29: Empowering Kids through Outdoor Adventures
Instead of telling kids what to do, we have the kids tell us what to do. It’s an empowering experience to let kids think that way from a young age. -Paul Dreyer In Episode 29, I’m chatting with Kyle Littman (COO) and Paul Dreyer (CEO) of Avid 4 Adventure. Kyle and Paul are both passionate about…
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