How Doing Less Made Me a Better Parent
After suffering from some random aches and pains (hello middle age!) and working way too hard for too many decades, I finally hit a physical and emotional breaking point a few years ago. I realized that I needed more rest and that I needed to do less of everything. I also realized I needed to…
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Ep. 23: Peaceful Mornings with Sara Kuljis
My regular (and super-fun and wise) podcast guest, Sara Kuljis of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp, joined me on Facebook Live for this month’s One Simple Thing topic: Peaceful Mornings. You can read more ideas in this month’s post: 10 Solutions for Chaotic Mornings. This podcast is the audio from Sara’s…
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My Favorite Parenting Books of 2017
If you’re looking for some wisdom in a specific area of parenting, you might want to consider reading (or listening) to one of these parenting books I enjoyed in 2017. I had the opportunity to interview most of the authors on my podcast. You can listen to my 20-25 minute interviews with the authors to…
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Ep. 19: Being a “Tech Positive” Parent with Devorah Heitner
Earlier this year, I devoured Devorah Heitner’s book Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World during a single plane trip. Heitner’s insights changed my previously (and very opinionated) negative view of my kids’ screen use. I highly recommend all parents read Screenwise, as the book provides new insights into our kids’ digital world and helps parents…
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Ep. 18: Adventures in Parenting with Tom Holland
In Episode 18, I talk with Tom Holland, a camp director and parent of four who has many excellent ideas for parents to teach kids to approach life with wonder and joy, learn leadership skills, enjoy the outdoors, and learn appropriate tech use habits. Tom attended the camp he and his wife Katherine now own, Wilderness…
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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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Ep. 15: Traits of Parents Who are Great to Work With
I think it’s one of my favorite parts of my job, getting to form these really positive, effective, and fun partnerships with parents. -Sara Kuljis Last week during a trip to Southern California, I had the pleasure of an impromptu visit and Facebook Live session with Sara Kuljis, my dear friend who happens to also…
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3 Simple Techniques to Help Kids Make Friends
Coaching kids on their social skills is one of the most helpful things caring adults can do to positively impact children’s lives. Why are social skills so important? We need look no further than the 75-Year Harvard Study (and our own life experience) to know that it is NOT what college our kids attend or…
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Helping Your Fearful Kid Try New Things
“I DID IT!” Many of my favorite moments at camp are when I get to witness a previously fearful and hesitant camper in the moments just after they’ve tried something new. Their confidence and joy are at a high as they tell the story of how scared they were, how they tried anyway, and how…
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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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The Five Most Common Parenting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Before I was a parent, I worked with hundreds of kids as a camp counselor and then as a camp director. As an idealistic youth development professional, I was very opinionated about parenting techniques, and I was critical of what I saw parents doing and saying to their kids. I had a lot of “always”…
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