5 Reasons Why...

First steps toward investigating
independence. 

As a parent, it is important to know you have a support system backing you as you take on the beautiful task of raising children. Our mission at Camp Foley is to partner with parents to guide children to grow grit and investigate their independence in a safe, kid focused environment. Parents, we have your back.

Time in the muck with your besties?
Yes, please. 

Some of the best, and maybe hardest, acts of parenting occur when a child is provided the opportunity to branch out and experience life without a parent's immediate guidance. A longtime ACA member and camp director, Audrey Monk, wrote  5 Reasons Why Great Parents Send Their Kids To Camp. This is an incredible post that simply puts 5 of the major benefits of camp into words. Click the link to read why allowing a child to develop independence, experience outdoor childhood fun and adventure, relax, unplug, and become better at making and keeping friends could be the best decision you make as a parent all year.


If that article speaks to what you desire for your children, grandchildren, or neighborhood friend - REGISTER THEM TODAY!

Free Range Kids

When a news story started circulating in the Washington Post last week entitled "Parents investigated for neglect after letting kids walk home alone", it made me (Marie) think about my parenting style. Would I have done the same thing?  Who is responsible for making those independence choices for my kids?

I started to do some Google searches and found the Free Range Kids website.  There were some thought provoking articles with unique prospective. Here is quote from Lenore Skenazy, who wrote Free-Range Kids - How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry: 

Any risk is seen as too much risk. But if you try to prevent every possible danger or difficulty in your child's everyday life, that child never gets a chance to grow up. We parents have to realize that the greatest risk of all just might be trying to raise a child who never encounters choice or independence.”

If you are not a “helicopter parent” are you a “free range parent”?  Or do you fall somewhere in between?  We believe that camp is all about giving children choice and independence in a safe environment. Maybe we can be part of their "free range".  Thank you for allowing your children to grow each summer with us.

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.