Camp Kupugani Blog
19 Things to Say to Your Son Before He’s Grown
At our summer camp for boys in Illinois, we exist for boys as they are, so they imagine the men they can become. Below is a digested version of a good blog post from mom Holly Pevzner helping to facilitate similar character development, with some wise/fun specific tips. “There are many (many) life lessons that parents should share with their children, like …be kind, floss every day and always send a post-interview thank-you note. But there are some nuggets of knowledge that are exclusively for boys — things to say […]
Challenging Your Own Biases in All Situations
At our summer camps near Chicago, we emphasize challenging ourselves and celebrating and appreciating the identity of self and others, and the importance of challenging your own biases. Below is a verbatim capsule of great tips from the 2013 calendar from the Anti-Defamation League. Everyone, even those who may make sincere efforts to be aware of their use of language, may find themselves inadvertently using language, or making an insensitive comment, that hurts others. While the intent may have been innocent, the impact of the words may deeply affect the […]
6 Ways to Help Empower Your Kids
Empowering children sometimes means doing things that make you as an adult or parent feel uncomfortable. As well-meaning individuals, we often err or on the side of perceived safety to limit our children’s experiences. Unfortunately, that can be detrimental, since we may be unnecessarily preventing their growth. Speaker Gever Tulley, in this TED talk posits that the best way to help kids learn is to stop trying so hard to keep them safe. He makes the valid argument that sheltering and inordinate focus on perceived “safety” leads to cutting children off […]
8 Life Management Tips to Minimize Stress
In trying to empower the children at our girls-only camps and boys-only camps, we help them maximize their personal development. Especially for those of us who prefer summer sunny blue sky days to those of sometimes cloudy winter, it can also be helpful to manage stress during challenging times. A recent article by Diana Rodriguez, medically reviewed by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD, delineates 8 good tips to help minimize stress. Please see below for highlights and this link for the complete article. Managing Stress: When You Experience a Sudden Spike Put […]
4 Tips for Planning a First-Time Camp Experience
Even though it’s winter, it’s not too soon to start considering how to introduce your child to a first-time camp experience. Below are a few easy tips to start the process. If you’re the parent of a prospective first-time camper, consider your goals for your child. Summer is a great time for her (or him) to try new things. Whatever new experience you’d love to introduce, be sure that s/he is involved in choosing a program. That way s/he keeps a sense of control, which helps to ward off any transition […]
7 Parenting Behaviors to Maximize Leadership Potential
At our overnight summer camps near Chicago, we focus on empowering our campers and maximizing their leadership capabilities. I read a recent article on the topic by leadership trainer Kathy Caprino in conjunction with leadership expert Dr. Tim Elmore. Below are some highlights from the piece, framed positively. Let our children experience risk We live in a world that warns us of danger at every turn. The “safety first” preoccupation enforces our fear of losing our kids, so we do everything we can to protect them. We have insulated them from […]
Why Camp Counselors Can Out-Parent Parents
At our overnight summer camp near Chicago, we appreciate the significance of giving children the freedom to learn from others closer to their age. Psychologist Michael Thompson also appreciates that freedom and its positive impact on kids’ intellectual and character growth. As he notes: “Children love to learn, but they get tired of being taught by adults. Children want to learn from older children, and, at a camp that means older campers, C.I.T.’s (counselors in training) and camp counselors. They want to live with them, emulate them, absorb them. In […]
How to Avoid 9 Happiness Mistakes
A recent Huffington Post article emphasizes that, while incorporating “happiness” habits may be a manageable way to integrate joy into our lives every day, we should be mindful of nine potential mistakes we might be making that are detrimental to our overall happiness. Summary below: You’re placing too much emphasis on fulfillment. Concentrating too much on achieving happiness may actually be making you more unhappy. The study found that those who put a higher pressure on themselves to be happy felt more lonely on a daily basis than those who did not. […]
Make a Positive Impact in Your Workplace
At our multicultural summer camp, we try to be intentional about fostering a culturally competent atmosphere that is welcoming to everybody. Here are some good tips, culled from a calendar from the Anti-Defamation League, detailing how you can make a positive impact in your workplace. Offer professional development workshops that help all employees understand and respect individual work and communication styles. Be understanding and supportive of co-workers when they are observing religious and/or cultural holidays. If a co-worker makes an insensitive racial, ethnic or religious comment, respond by respectfully pointing […]
Help Your Children Lead Mindful Online Lives
At our Illinois summer camp, during the summer, we don’t have to worry about our campers being on their phones constantly because they are too busy empowering themselves. However, during their home lives, we recognize that, since electronics are allowed there, that it can be useful to guide young people appropriately. I recently read a good blog entry detailing how to navigate managing tablet and smartphone usage for young teens and pre-teens. Sociologist Christine Carter notes that: “Tech devices are dramatically affecting our kids’ normal social, sexual, intellectual, and emotional […]
It’s Never Too Early to Think About Camp!
Hopefully, you’re enjoying the end of a fantastic year and the impending approach of an optimistic new one. Although 2013 is still with us, it’s not too early to begin planning for next summer’s camp season. Especially since children have a limited window of opportunity in their lives to benefit from camp, the decision to begin a new camp experience should not be put off. We are already accepting 2014 registrations; because our Illinois girls summer camp near Chicago (or our boys program, like other camps) has limited registrations, if […]
Ambivalent Sexism Inventory
At our girls summer camp here in snowy Illinois, at all times of the year, we recognize the value of identity and self-empowerment. A link a friend recently forwarded to me reminds me of the work we have to do as individuals, communities, and yes, even summer camps for girls. See below for more from the link. Every day, the self-esteem of young girls and women are lowered due to the subliminal behavior of others. Test yourself by taking the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory to see your own hidden biases.” “Women — you […]