Motherlode

Foley parents are the best and we are so grateful that you entrust your children to us.  As Directors, we are continuously educating ourselves on the many trends of youth development and of raising children.

While googling a keynote speaker, I came upon a blog, Motherlode; Living the Family Dynamic  and became immersed in many of the posted blogs.  Lead writer and editor, KJ Dell’Antonia, refers to the blog “as a source you can count on for information about family life, news coverage of family-related issues and research, and a smart, informed discussion of all of the above.”

As a parent of four myself, I found some great information about how to relate to my kids and a fresh look at some of the things they may be going through. Likewise, I was able to take many snippets away for use with the campers at Camp Foley.

After reaching my limit of 10 free articles per month without having a subscription I was booted out – until next month...

~Marie Schmid, Executive Director  

Camp and Social Entrepreneurship

Campers taking initiative to complete a task during
the Final Banquet activities.

We recently came across an article on Huffington Post Education that was a great read and something we’d like to share with our camp community. If you call up any camp profession, they can tell you one million and one ways summer camp can be a benefit to your child. The article “A Consequence of Character” that we came across provides yet another excellent, less commonly touted, benefit of summer camp.

The Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) at Susquehanna University conducted a study that confirmed that “life lessons” learned during adolescence help inspire social entrepreneurship. The character traits of social entrepreneurs include motivation, initiative, sociability, adaptability and optimism and are outgoing, flexible and assertive people. 

Ask any camp professional what character traits campers leave camp with and the previously listed traits will be high on the list.

Participants in the study that attended a summer camp were significantly more likely to state an interest in social entrepreneurship than those who had not attended camp. Learn why by reading the full article.

Hummingbird Parents and Summer Camp

I recently stumbled across a very interesting blog posted by Richard Louv on the Children & Nature Network. The title: "Hummingbird Parents": Seven Actions Parents Can Take To Reduce Risk And Still Get Their Kids Outside." In the blog, Louv provides seven ways a parent can let their child have independent play - outside - and still feel in control and aware of their child's needs.

I fully recommend reading the entire article, but I want to address two of Louv's seven actions specifically.

Action 1: Take your kids outdoors

Anyone would agree that most children today do not spend as much time outdoors as children used to. Bike races around the neighborhood, exploring the woods for hours on end and disappearing into a neighbors house for a snack just don't happen as often as they used to. To this, Louv says, "If we want our children or grandchildren to experience nature, we'll need to be more proactive than parents of past generations." It's not up to the kids to get out of the house because often it's not their choice. Parents must be committed to introducing their child to nature. This brings me to the second action...

Action 2: Be a hummingbird parent

We hear the term "helicopter parent" all the time, which may be why children don't experience the outdoors as much. Parents are worried about their child disappearing into the woods for hours without checking in. Sometimes it's easier parking a child in front of a screen because there they are safe, under the watchful eye of a parent or trusted supervisor. Louv encourages parents to take Michele Whitaker's approach of being a "hummingbird parent." The idea is that parents can supervise their children - from a distance. Let them make their own experiences and "zoom in" when safety is a concern. This takes the hovering out of parenting.

How this fits into camp

As camp professionals, we hear all the time about the fears a parent may have about sending their child away for weeks at a time. Will they wear sunscreen? Who are the counselors watching my child? Will their allergies be an issue? All of these fears are understandable. We think summer camp is the perfect opportunity for parents to practice being "hummingbird parents."

When a parent decides to send their child to camp, they are deliberately sending their children outside to experience nature. After researching the right camp, parents can send their children off feeling confident that their child will be well cared for while they are away. Parents can zoom in by sending mail (and requesting mail back) or calling to speak to a camp administrator with concerns. It's hard for a parent to hover when their child is away being independent. This allows children to grow and investigate on their own. Sure, they may fall or fail a few times but that builds grit. 

grow GRIT. investigate INDEPENDENCE. 

How Camp Prepares Children

Campers interact with a variety of other children to help
prepare for a successful future. 

"Ready, Set, Go: How Camp Prepares Children for Lives of Success" was published in the 2013 November/December issue of Camping Magazine. In the article, Stephen Gray Wallace, MS Ed, writes about how camps play a role in promoting "readiness" (how prepared children are to be productive and successful adults) and reducing risk (the likelihood of children to participate in risky behavior).

He says that at camp, children "build for essential pillars." These essential pillars include: Sense of Self, Rites of Passage, Positive Risk Taking and Mentoring Relationships. Read the full article on the American Camp Association's (ACA) website to see how these four pillars are linked to positive youth development, reduction in risk and overall mental health. 

Once again, the ACA is providing examples as to how "Camp Gives Kids a World of Good." We at Foley love the fact that one of the things we help promote is readiness and that we can help reduce risk.