Camp Kupugani Blog
Why Spanking Is Bad for Child Development
I still have fond memories of hanging out in the back of our family station wagon, without a seatbelt, looking at the drivers immediately behind our vehicle. Many of us growing up in that era also remember well-meaning parents who spanked us. Although many easily appreciate the wisdom and safety regarding current child seatbelt laws, some struggle with whether spanking is still a good idea. Our summer camp near Chicago is always focused on positive child development. So we encourage some potentially reluctant parents (including—according to a recent NBC News […]
10 Ideas: Creating Quality Time With Your Kids
Here are ten things to do to develop my quality relationships with my kids, in spite of a hectic schedule. Road trips: I take a child on many of the daily errands I run, whether to the dump, to the bookstore, or to the grocery store. I often speak at functions several hours away. If I can afford it and it works, I will take one of my children with me. They love the quality time alone with dad (maybe it’s all the fast food we eat?). The time we […]
How to Enjoy (Objectively) Deciding About Camp
Often at this time of year, most families thoughts turn to summer planning. As director of our camp near Chicago, I’ll often get questions from families trying to figure out whether their child is ready for a camp experience. Sometimes the question is disguised as a comment that their child can’t possibly be ready, but that comment often belies the parent’s own misgivings. We’ve designed a couple of fun, insightful quizzes to help provide answers for questioning families. Take a quiz! Have fun and let us know what you think!
Quirky Discipline Rules That Work
These rules have an internal logic that defies easy categorization, but their clarity and enforceability make them work. Several of them are not, technically, rules at all, but declarations of policy or fact. And they’re all easy to remember. Rule #1: You can’t be in the room when I’m working unless you work, too Goal: Get your child to help, or stop bugging you, while you do chores It might seem odd, but I don’t mind doing laundry, cleaning floors or really any kind of housework. But I do mind my […]
Most Powerful Things You Can Say to Your Kids
Negative comments can often shape a conversation in a way we don’t realize and it’s important to be aware. Your words and conversations are powerful and create your reality, your future, and your relationships. What you talk about—or don’t talk about—defines your relationship. The primary conversations that surround your children are your conversations—both with them directly and with others while your children are present. And those are the powerful conversations you have the power to change. And you can start by using this list of the 10 most powerful things you […]
The Art of Teaching Your Kids to Negotiate
You say, “It’s time for bed.” “It’s time to go.” “It’s time for homework.” “It’s dinnertime!” But your child says, “Five more minutes.” You are tired of saying “No” and tired of fighting. So, what do you do? Give in? Blow up? Or — negotiate? Life with kids often involves negotiation, whether we like it or not. According to Scott Brown, author of How to Negotiate With Kids Even When You Think You Shouldn’t, “The negotiation between parents and kids can actually be a great learning experience for your kids. […]
Act of Kindness: Healing is Possible
An act of kindness… An open letter to the white lady at Subway… You don’t know how you made me smile. When I went to check out and pay for my sandwich, the cashier informed me that it had been taken care of by the lady who had just left the store. Involved in my order, I didn’t really take note of you, beyond seeing that you were maybe 60-ish year’s old and had smile lines on your face. When the cashier told me my sandwich was free, and why—I […]
We’re in this Together
If you’re reading this, you’re likely disappointed that events of recent months have revealed apparently deep societal fissures. If you’re reading this, you’re likely feeling uncertainty and fear about this country’s future. Even as the holiday season approaches, you may be wondering what new bad tidings the new year may bring. If you’re reading this, you might be asking yourself, “How can I make my part of the world a better place? How can I address looming challenges that seem much larger than they did only a few months ago […]
13 Fun New Year’s Eve Activities for Kids & Adults
New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to play some fun games together. Here are 13 fun ideas of New Year’s Eve activities to play with your friends and family! Enjoy! 1. Guessing the resolutions Make everyone write down their resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud. Everyone has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins […]
DIY Holiday Gift Kids Can Make
There’s no better gift from a kid than a homemade one. Here are some super-easy, crafty gift ideas that are perfect for teachers, family, and friends! 1. Lunch Bag Scrap Book Store holiday cards and photos in the pockets of a book crafted from folded brown paper bags. What you’ll need: Three brown lunch bags, scissors, hole punch, pencil, thin ribbon, glue, assorted embellishments (we used patterned papers, gift wrap scraps, buttons, stickers, rickrack, and photos) Make it: Cut off the bottom of the lunch bags, stack them, and fold […]
10 Tips for Parenting Your Pre-Teen
It’s typically between the ages of nine and twelve that our cute, cuddly little children, once so willing to climb into our laps and share their secrets, suddenly want little or nothing to do with us. Your pre-adolescent is not the same person he was just a year or two ago. He has changed—physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. He’s developing new independence and may even want to see how far he can push limits set by parents. What he may not know is that he needs you as much as […]
Break Activities for Families
For most families, winter break brings with it celebrations, decorations, a ton of food, and a whole lot of holiday fun. But what happens once the gifts are open, the New Year rings in, and there are still days left before the break’s over? Christmas has come and gone and New Year’s is only hours away, but most families still have a while before their kids make the trek back to school. With nothing but time, cabin fever can set in quick, making the start of school look like a […]
