Camp Kupugani Blog
Should I Be Worried If My Child is Bedwetting?
Bedwetting is a common problem of childhood…more common than people necessarily think. “I call it the hidden problem of childhood,” says Dr. Howard Bennett, a pediatrician and author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting. “Unlike asthma or allergies, it’s just not talked about outside the house.” Indeed, bed-wetting children are far from alone. As they mature, children gain bladder control at night, but at varying ages. After age 5, about 15% of children continue to wet the bed, and by age 10, there are still about […]
Modifying Kids’ TV Habits May Improve Behavior
From a recent USA Today article: “Want to improve your preschoolers’ behavior? Be choosy when it comes to the television shows they watch – even if you don’t reduce the amount of time they spend watching them, a study finds. In one of the largest studies yet to examine how modifying television content affects the development of young children ages 3 to 5, researchers report that six months after families reduced their kids’ exposure to aggressive and violence-filled programming and increased exposure to enriching and educational programming – even without […]
Social Media Might Help Shaping Children’s Identity
While we have to be mindful of our children’s online interactions, some recent research shows that social media sites can actually help a child form her/his own identity. This can begin by shaping how your child interacts with others on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you can help guide them to have consistent, public, positive social interactions online, this can help boost their self-esteem. At this link, sociologist Christine Carter discusses further thoughts on how important it is to teach children how to act online with […]
Should Black History Month Be Cause for Celebration?
February means Black History Month. For some—an occasion for celebration; for others—cause for dismay. For all, February gives rise to a (short) month-long recognition of the achievements of African-Americans. Black History Month began 32 years ago as an expansion of Negro History Week, established fifty years prior by Carter G. Woodson. Building on the efforts of others, Woodson conceived of the event as a national celebration, seeking to appeal to whites and blacks and to improve race relations. At first, the Week was celebrated almost exclusively by African Americans; however, […]
9 Healthy Ways to Communicate
As winter continues and we often spend more time indoors than in the warmer months, it’s an especially important time to be mindful of being kind to each other, and trying to communicate in healthy ways. Here’s a tip sheet on healthy ways to communicate from renowned facilitator Lee Mun Wah, from Berkeley, California. Reflect back what is being said. Use their words, not yours. Begin where they are, not where you want them to be. Be curious and open to what they are trying to say. Notice what they […]
Children Need Healthy Risk-Taking
It can be a challenge for many parents to let go. Especially in our age of “helicopter parenting”, media reports of dangers lurking for your child around every corner, it can be easy for parents to imagine untold mayhem everywhere if you let your child out of your sight. We want to protect our children and want the best for them. However, for children, and especially teens and older pre-teens, they need to develop their sense of independence and need to grow by having us parents let go… Here’s a good article and podcast by sociologist Christine […]
A 2-Week Camp Experience is a Good Minimum
I attended a recent camp fair, where a prospective camp parent was concerned whether a two-week camp experience was too long for her would-be first-time camper child. Her not necessarily articulated concern was that her child wouldn’t thrive in a two-week program—that it might be too long for her. I responded that it’s not necessarily the length of the experience, but whether the child is “ready.” Two-Week Minimum Experience Encourages Independent Growth My two decades of camp experience at camps of all sorts of lengths—from single-day programs to two-month summer […]
Tips to Keep Your Girl Age Appropriate
At our multicultural girls camp, we are very intentional and mindful of doing activities that empower our young ladies, giving them the tools to be stronger in the outside world. Sadly, however, in that “outside world” there is increasing pressure seemingly everywhere for girls and young women to look older, sexier, and more mature than they are. Children’s cartoons have female characters wearing skimpy clothes; shows that are popular with teens and pre-teens, like Glee and America’s Next Top Model feature “kids” twice their age. Retailers directed at teens and […]
Appreciating MLK by Tackling Race and Identity Issues
It has been almost 45 years since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. A good time to reflect on the issue of race and racism in America. Despite a lot of fear and denial that race is still an issue or being used as an issue, dialogue seems to proceed in fits and starts in this country. Unfortunately, race and racism continues to permeate American institutions, corporations, schools, and communities. Our avoiding the difficult conversations with our families or in our workplaces makes our children pay for our silence […]
Encouraging Independence So Children Can Thrive
Steering Children Toward Healthy Risks Children need to develop a sense of independence to successfully navigate an increasingly complex world. As parents and youth professionals, we need to give them space to grow. But how to do that, given societal pressure on parents to obsess about perceived safety? How do we help parents overcome the pervasive culture of fear so that they can feel comfortable allowing children the opportunities to take on new situations? How do we facilitate children’s growth, via mindful risk-taking, to evolve into competent, independent adults? What […]
Determine if Your Child is Ready for Sleepaway Camp
How can you tell if your child is ready for camp? There’s no tried-and-true perfect formula, but you definitely want to make sure that your child is ready before you send her/him away; the camp experience is far too valuable to turn your child off because s/he isn’t yet ready; it’s better to err on the side of the caution if you’re not sure. Here Are Ten Questions For You To Consider. How old? While there is no specific magic age for a first-time camp experience, the best age is […]
We’re in Charge of Our Own Happiness
At our multicultural summer camp, we’re always mindful about intentional ways to empower girl campers and boy campers, as well as how we can better our own lives. I came across an old article the other day (a blog post by Stephanie Jacobs, citing the work of M.J. Ryan, executive coach and author of “The Happiness Makeover”–the link has since disappeared). It described the link between positive psychology and happiness. The main takeaway is that, whatever your innate happiness level, you can cultivate additional happiness by acting and thinking positively. […]