Being nervous about going to camp is so natural and normal. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you are stepping on the bus or the 8th time… your brain starts working overtime about ‘what could go wrong.’ Good thing we have courage and free will to combat this very normal thought process. Here are a few ideas that can help!
As parents, we all want to prepare out kids to be good, productive, well-adjusted humans. And, it’s hard. No one told us exactly what to do and how to raise such different kids. Thankfully, Audrey Monke, a long time camp director and parenting coach, has written a book for all of us: Happy Campers.
True friendship takes at least two ingredients: the chance to be your true self and at least one other person who can connect with you to something larger than one person. Lifelong, indelible friendships are built at summer camps all over the world because they create communities in which these two ingredients are available with abundance.
Tech is invading our homes in some good and some not-so-good ways. Summer camp focuses on building connection and community without much use of tech. Let’s look at a few ways we can help make our homes a little more tech-free!
Action is more important than words or feelings. Yes, I want to have a more grateful outlook on life but my actions will show me and everyone else what I truly believe. Jerry Sternin said something about this: It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking, than think your way into a new way of acting.
We need to stop just writing our thoughts down in a gratitude journal but start acting them out as well.
Serving as a summer camp counselor may be the most important internship that any young person can attempt. The lessons learned and experienced gain helps not only in the ‘help you find a job’ near term - because it certainly does. More importantly, though, are the two “R’s” they’ll earn: responsibility and relationships. These will serve as a launching pad towards the longer term goal of becoming a great human.
