7 Simple Steps to Teach Kids to Introduce Themselves
Hi! I’m Audrey Monke. Thanks for visiting my little corner of the internet here at Sunshine Parenting! Watch this 1-minute video to learn why I wrote this post about the importance of teaching kids how to introduce themselves to others: Because of my research on the importance of good social skills and positive relationships for a…
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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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Ready for Adulthood Check-List for Kids
What skills do our kids need in order to be ready for adulthood? Readiness is an interesting concept. Many things we do, like going to summer camp for the first time, starting college or a new job or becoming a parent, we’re not technically “ready” for. We haven’t had any practice yet! We learn best…
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[ENCORE] Ep. 128: “America’s Worst Mom” Lenore Skenazy talks about Letting our Kids Grow
Show notes & links available here. In this episode, I’m talking to Lenore Skenazy about how letting her 9-year-old son ride the subway alone in New York City led to her being labeled the “World’s Worst Mom” and sparked the Free-Range Kids movement. Her book, Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children Without Going…
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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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Ep. 161: An Inside Look at Sunshine’s Parenting
Join Audrey’s email subscriber community for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. This week on the podcast, hear directly from my kids about their thoughts about my parenting. My guests are my oldest and youngest kids, Gretchen (age 26) and Owen (age 17). They happen to be the only two of our kids…
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Sticky Note Solution: Chore Reminder
In my book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, each chapter ends with a “Bringing Camp Home” section with five different ideas ranging from simple to more indepth to address the character trait or practice covered in the chapter. In each “Bringing Camp Home” section, I offer a…
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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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Ep. 50: How to be a Happier Parent with K.J. Dell’Antonia
In Episode 50, I chat with K.J. Dell’Antonia, author of How to be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute. From KJ’s website: I believe each of us is responsible for our own happiness. I believe happier parents are better parents and better people. I believe family should…
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Want an Independent, Self Confident, Resilient Kid? Summer Camp Can Help!
While it’s easy to think of ways to teach our kids to do laundry or solve math problems, finding a way to instill important character traits isn’t as simple. The way we model traits we want our children to exhibit has a powerful influence on them, and some traits (kindness, gratitude, and generosity) they learn…
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Why Teens Need Summer Camp More Than Ever
Being at camp gives me this sense of belonging that I’ve never felt anywhere else. I know that I can be myself and that my cabin mates will love me for who I am, and I’ve brought that to my life outside of camp. -Hannah Each summer, tens of thousands of teens leave their phones and car…
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Ep. 10: Homesick and Happy with Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
In Episode 10 of the podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite parenting and camp experts, best-selling author Michael Thompson, Ph.D. For more than three decades, Thompson has been a clinical psychologist, school and camp consultant, and international speaker on the subjects of children, schools, and parenting. Throughout my career as…
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