Camp Kupugani Blog
The Importance of Free Play
I recently attended a regional camp conference where the closing keynote speaker discussed how parents these days feel compelled to keep their children “safe” at home, and inadvertently (or purposefully) limiting their chances to play outside with other children. It reminded me of how fortunate our son is to grow up in our rural camp home, where he can go outside at any time and engage in free play, limited only by the bounds of his imagination or when hunger calls him to come in for a snack, or when […]
Tips So You Can Avoid Having to Nag Your Children
For you intentional parents out there looking to further spur your child’s empowerment even while they’re not at our girls-camp or boys-camp, here’s a good piece from sociologist Christine Carter regarding setting yourself up as a parent to have to nag less! It’s a podcast, so for you visual/reading types, the takeaway is: (1) Setting up habits and routines is a good way to eliminate the need to nag, since children can just fall into the pattern of what’s expected of them at certain times (2) If you do need […]
Friends Positively Influence Self Esteem
Being intentional about empowerment at our girls-only and boys-only multicultural summer camps, we’ve always recognized the importance of connecting with others, and the value of developing community. A recent study underscores the value of having a best friend in whom to confide; feelings of self-worth and morale are directly strengthened by the presence of a best friend. Read up more on how friends help us to negate negativity here.
Camps Help Make Children Resilient
In a recent article published in the American Camp Association’s Camp Magazine, Dr. Michael Ungar, a professor of social work at Dalhousie University and scientific director of the Resilience Research Centre (go Canada!), discussed how camps, like good schools and loving families, immunize children against adversity by giving them manageable amounts of stress and the supports they need to learn how to cope effectively. Debunking the resilience myth that resilient individuals are those who overcome adversity because of special individual qualities, Dr. Ungar recognizes that studies from fields ranging from child development to […]
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 […]
