Getting Prepared For Camp!

The temperatures may have plummeted, but it’s never out of season to have summer camp on our minds.  In six short months, campers will be starting (or returning to) their camp life, and the adventure of a lifetime.  Returning campers cannot wait to get back to their camp friends, their camp home and all the joy camp offers.  Parents of returning campers know that the memories of camp last all year long.  They know the benefits of the camp experience, and how it fosters self-esteem, creates independence and increases maturity.  But these parents were once new to the world of camp, and the parental concerns of what camp would be like for their first time camper.  The concerns of…is my child ready? Will they be homesick? Will they be able to take care of themselves? Will they make friends? Will they participate in camp activities? Though parents cannot monitor what camp activities their child will enjoy, the friends they make, or what they choose to wear or eat…there are some basic skills that children can practice at home to make the transition to camp easier, and tips to help parents prepare their camper for their first overnight camp experience.    

Plan Sleepovers:  Schedule a sleepover at a friend or relatives house to help your child adapt to being away from home for the night.   

Increase Personal Responsibility:  Encourage your child to be responsible for selecting clothes, getting dressed and personal hygiene.  Have your child manage routines of showering and brushing teeth independently.

Have children help out at home:  Campers are part of a team and are responsible for doing their share.  Practice making beds and cleaning up after themselves at meal time. 

Allow them to work things out:  When sibling or friend disputes arise, give kids a chance to sort them out before intervening.  If needed, assist with constructive ways to settle issues.  Campers live together 24/7 and disagreements are bound to come up, the practice of working things out independently will greatly empower campers.   

Review camp materials:  Visit the camp web site or view the DVD together. Familiarity with the camp setting and routines will give new campers a stronger sense of what to expect.  Attend the New Family Orientation prior to the start of camp to gain an even better sense of what camp is all about, as well as a chance to meet key staff and other new camp families.

Listen and Be Positive:  Listen to any concerns your child has about camp, and reassure them that some anxiety about going to camp for the first time is normal.  Being open and honest will help ease their worries and allow them to refocus on what they are most looking forward to at camp. 

Prepare Together:  Shop for bedding, clothing and other camp supplies together.  Being a part of the process will get them excited about going. 

The camp season may be months away, but it is never too early to help our children (and ourselves) become more independent, confident and prepared for a happy and fun filled summer.  Stay warm and get ready for summer 2014!

Happy New Year 2014

The New Year is quickly approaching, and for many of us it brings the excitement of a fresh start.  A time to think about what we want in 2014, and the goals that will get us there. If you have yet to come up with a New Year’s resolution, here is a great one…”For the coming year, I will be more like an Iroquois Springs camper”.  Summer camp plays an important role in a young person’s development and the outcome of the summer camp experience produces some pretty incredible people worth aspiring to. Though every camper has their own unique personality, there are some amazing qualities that shine through in all our camp family.  

Campers challenge themselves.  The camp day is filled with activities and adventures that may seem difficult at first, but with support and encouragement campers face their fears and accomplish amazing things.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do”.  At camp, obstacles become an opportunity for personal growth.  

Campers have empathy.  Living together as a close knit family, campers come to be thoughtful of one another’s feelings and develop the trust to talk things out in a productive manner.  Camp teaches us to listen without judgment and gain an understanding of what the next person may be experiencing.  

Campers have fun and get silly.  Life can be so busy at times that we forget to a step back from it all and just laugh. Campers are free of being “plugged in” and overscheduled, and have the summer to relax, laugh, get a bit silly, and enjoy the moment.  

Campers have confidence.  Campers are given the freedom and independence to make appropriate decisions on their own, and in turn believe in themselves and their abilities.  Choosing what to wear or what to eat for lunch may seem insignificant but can be empowering and a real confidence booster.  Research shows that a healthy self-esteem can help develop resilience, giving campers the strength to tackle problems head on.  

Campers have great interpersonal skills.  Camp teaches us to listen to one another and cooperate, even if we don’t share the same views.  Interpersonal skills are always being developed and in turn personal relationships are strengthened and more rewarding. 

Campers know teamwork.  Teamwork requires campers to work cooperatively with each other toward a shared purpose.  Campers work together in everything from sports strategies, to building a fire for the rope burn during Color War. Teamwork is a highly social activity that involves interaction and exchanging of ideas, leading to another great quality.  

Campers use critical thinking. This higher level thinking involves in depth discussions and allows for multiple responses and interpretations.  Critical thinking is a valuable skill that will prepare campers for future success. 

So get out there and be more like an Iroquois Springs camper…challenge yourself, care about others, get silly, gain confidence, develop strong relationships, be a part of a team, and use critical thinking.  All of these qualities can make life happier, healthier and much more rewarding.  What could be better for the New Year?

Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy and completely amazing New Year!!!!

Healthy Eating

It has been shown that families who eat together are healthier and happier.  Meals together are a time to relax, recharge, share, laugh and connect with one another.  But for many families, planning meal time can be quite stressful.  Families today have hectic schedules, with limited time for sit down meals.    Gathering everybody for an evening meal can be close to impossible. Now add to that the issue of good nutrition and getting kids to eat a well balanced meal, and the family meal just got a bit more challenging.  Though the food choices may be plentiful, some kids are extremely limited in what they will eat, often making meal time unpleasant.  The good news is that when you do find the time to eat together, family meals can be both nutritious and the perfect time to expand the list of foods the whole family will enjoy. So regardless of how often your family can manage to sit down together, make it successful by following these tips that experts in the field of health and nutrition recommend… 

-Serve regular balanced meals.

-Allow children to decide what and how much they want to eat (to eliminate any power struggle).

-Provide a pleasant environment to talk and be together. 

-Expose kids to foods numerous times.  The more the food is available, the more likely the child will try it.

-Role Model healthy eating by trying new foods.

-Include kids in the planning and cooking of meals.

This last tip is especially important for families with picky eaters.  When kids participate in the preparation of the meal they are more likely to try it.  Involvement gives kids some control in what they are eating.  Christine Mastrangelo, RD, says “Children feel important when they are asked to pitch in, and because they take pride in the finished product, they’re more likely to have an open mind about eating it”. 

These suggestions to help make meal time both nutritious and successful are consistently taking place at camp.  Meal time is a time for campers to refuel and reconnect, and is an important part of our camp routine.  The dining hall is filled with a variety of nutritious foods that campers can choose from.  They are given the independence to choose the foods they enjoy and are encouraged to try new things in a positive way by having other campers and counselors role model healthy eating.  Being able to make choices often results in campers trying foods and more than often going home with a new item on their list of foods they enjoy.  Meals at camp are pleasant because we are all together.  Meal times are about eating, sharing, singing and lots of laughs.  And when it comes to including kids in the kitchen, Kitchen Stadium is a great place where campers make decisions about recipes they want to create, are hands on with preparing them, and of course, enjoy eating the finished product.  Camp will always be a place where our camp family gathers to have a positive eating experience.

We wish you all enjoyable family meals as you reconnect and stay healthy!

Traditions and Rituals

The holidays are upon us, and so is the time to follow family customs and traditions as we celebrate and enjoy this time of year.  It may be making latkes for Chanukah, decorating the tree for Christmas, going ice skating in Central Park, or watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve….whatever the event, having traditions creates a foundation of strong family bonds and a lifetime of memories.

And traditions go way beyond holiday celebrations; anything you do to create routine will benefit your family.  Studies show that routines, rituals and traditions are good for peoples physical and mental well being.  Family rituals give children a sense of belonging, enhance identity, and build powerful interpersonal connections.

“Children love rituals”, says Martin V. Cohen, Ph. D., associate director of the Marital and Family Therapy Clinic at New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center.  “Children find a certain security and solace in something that gives a sense of belonging and comfort.  Kids find rituals fascinating – artistically, spiritually, and emotionally”.  

Traditions that are established early on in life will most likely be remembered and carried on through the generations.  These rituals don’t have to be time-consuming or expensive to have a great impact, just as long as they are enjoyable, meaningful and bond the family together.  Children will remember and look forward to family events like going pumpkin picking every Fall, Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house, family vacations, or simply making pancakes with dad every Sunday morning.

And when it comes to creating traditions, there is no place like camp.  Summer camp is chock-full of special traditions that campers and staff look forward to all year, and are remembered for a lifetime.    The Iroquois Springs traditions give us a sense of belonging because we enjoy them together as a camp family.  The Order of Blue & Gold, Fuzzies at evening line-up, Smores around the campfire, Sing, Project Morry Swim-A-Thon, Extreme Canteen, Boys Football Tailgate, Rope Burn, July 4th Fireworks, the Camp Reunion….all of these events (just to name a few) are camp traditions that mean so much to our camp family.  They bond us and keep us connected both at camp and throughout the year.

Think about the rituals you have with your family, and know that even the simplest of routines brings something positive and beneficial to your lives.  A tradition is anything you look forward to as a family.  It’s a commitment to one another to spend time together doing something enjoyable, that will be remembered for a lifetime.  Why not start a new tradition this holiday season…it may be something that continues on for
generations to come.  Happy Holidays!!!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It’s a time to gather with family and friends, watch the parade, eat great food, and take time off from the usual routine of homework and after school activities.  It is also the time of year that many of us turn our attention to what we are thankful for.   I always look forward to our family tradition of going around the dinner table and stating what we are most thankful for.  From the simple appreciation of a great cup of coffee in the morning, to finally getting the puppy the kids have been asking for, to the true gratitude of being a part of the Iroquois Springs family, we take a moment to share our thankfulness for all that we have.  It’s amazing to hear how the lists change from year to year as the kids get older and life brings us new challenges and opportunities.  Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California at Davis, has termed “positive psychology”.  Emmons research has found that those who adopt an “attitude of gratitude” as a permanent state of mind experience many health benefits like taking better care of themselves, having improved mental alertness, and having  stronger immune systems.

Studies also show that people who express gratitude are happier, more empathetic, and more willing to help others.  So, when a friend forwarded me an email about families helping families by donating a Thanksgiving Day basket to those who are less fortunate, we decided to be a part of this special event.  I wanted to extend our expressed thankfulness to an act of paying it forward and giving back.  We shopped for the suggested groceries and supplies, created a wonderful basket, and hand delivered it to a family in need.  The kids felt really good about helping create a more enjoyable Thanksgiving for another family.

The abundance of volunteer opportunities, especially as the holidays approach, is awe-inspiring. Do a Google search on “Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities” and the results are endless.   With all of the meaningful ways families can help give back, there is something for everyone.  Donate a turkey, help prepare and deliver nutritious meals, grab your running shoes and sign up for a turkey trot fundraiser, donate a warm coat to a homeless shelter, bring canned goods to a local food drive, or lead a holiday arts and crafts project at a community center.   Whatever it is that you decide to volunteer for, however small or grand the gesture, the feeling it will give is invaluable.  It will be something your kids will look back on and feel really good about. They will know they made a difference.

“Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting” Author Unknown

Perseverance and Success

There is a famous expression: When the going gets tough, the tough get going!  In other words, when the situation becomes difficult, the strong will work harder to meet the challenge. The trait that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult is the definition of Perseverance.  Perseverance may determine our chances of success more than any other single characteristic, and is essential to accomplishing what you want in life.  As children, many of us learned about perseverance from the classic children’s book The Little Engine that Could, about a little steam engine that had the determination to pull a long train of cars up a steep hill, despite how difficult it was.  

The little engine never gave up and kept repeating “I think I can, I think I can”.  He was practicing perseverance, finishing what he started, even when faced with a difficult situation.  Parent’s magazine, Marie Faust Evitt feels that one way to foster a “can do” attitude is to help your child learn to set goals and meet them one small step at a time.  When kids develop positive attitudes toward challenges, they learn to believe in themselves and what they can accomplish. 

Psychologist, Angela Lee Ducksworth, uses the word Grit to describe perseverance. “Grit is passion and an unflagging commitment to a long term goal.  Grit is living life like it is a marathon and not a sprint”.  Through extensive research, Ducksworth has found that more than IQ or talent or any other factor, Grit is the #1 predictor of a person’s success. Parenting expert, Dr. Michele Borba, believes that perseverance is often the critical distinction between whether kids succeed or fail.  Children who learn to bounce back and not let setbacks get them down have gained a valuable skill for life.  After thousands of efforts to make the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison said “I haven’t failed, I’ve identified 10,000 ways that it doesn’t work”.  Failure occurs only when we quit or stop trying.

Summer camp is a setting where perseverance is encouraged and practiced each and every day, as campers take on challenges and set personal goals.  Campers are often introduced to activities that are new to them, and mastering these activities takes time and determination. Campers may want to learn to water ski, make it to the top of the climbing wall, improve skills on the lacrosse field, or overcome fears by performing in the theatre production.  Camp is a great place to set goals, and practice skills in a safe and supportive environment.  It’s always rewarding to watch campers overcome obstacles through hard work and perseverance. 

To inspire the importance of hard work and perseverance all year long, it’s helpful to:

Set Goals:  Having goals keeps kids engaged as they learn new skills and overcome obstacles.

Break the goal down: One step at a time will help a child feel less overwhelmed.

Encourage and Reward Practice: Encourage and reward the effort and practice more than the accomplishment.

Offer Support:  Achieving goals is challenging and can be emotionally charged, make sure to listen and support all efforts made.

And as Winston Churchill said “Never Give Up”!

Keeping Fit In The Winter Months

Summer camp is packed with fun and challenging physical activities.  A variety of sports, games and events keep us moving and feeling great. But what happens during the school year, when the weather gets cooler, the days get shorter and we are limited in the number of outdoor activities we can engage in?  If you live in the Northeast, and spent any time outside this weekend, you probably felt a chill in the air and were faced with the reality that winter is quickly approaching.  The cold weather may be invigorating to some, but tends to create  The availability of fewer outdoor activities, along with the desire to hibernate during the winter months can negatively impact our health.  Physical activity is important year round, especially in children and teens.  Research shows that kids who are physically fit are academically motivated, alert and successful.  When kids engage in regular exercise, they build endurance, strength and flexibility.  Regular exercise also helps kids develop stronger muscles and bones, control weight, decrease the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, sleep better, and have a better outlook on life.  Overall, exercise is important to good health, and gives kids an advantage to better handle physical and emotional challenges. 

Let’s remember all the great things Tara “Fitness” talks about and teaches us all summer long – then implement them in the winter months.  Between the early morning fitness classes and her regular activity classes in the fitness center, we get a terrific workout all summer long.  Whether in the fitness studio doing things like core conditioning, kick boxing or agility training, or spinning in the spin studio, or lifting weights in the weight room, these are all great things to do all winter long to keep us fit. 

Kidshealth.org reports that the percentage of overweight and obese kids and teens has more than doubled in the past 30 years.  And according to Healthychildren.org, only half of children and teens ages 12-21 exercise regularly, more than 15% of all school children are considered obese or overweight, and approximately 7% of children who are obese suffer from sleep apnea.  Factors like spending too much time in front of the television, video games and online,  greater academic demands, busy family lives, and increased portion sizes in restaurants, all contribute to the these findings.  But whatever the reason, it’s important to keep kids moving and in good health. 

The National Association for Sports and Physical Education recommends that all children should exercise for at least one hour a day.  We all need to encourage kids to make the time and effort to do some form of exercise that they enjoy. Here are some great ways to motivate kids, and the entire family, to exercise and stay healthy:

Establish a regular schedule for physical activity – Find the time that works best for your family, and sign up for an after school sport, after homework dance class, or after dinner walk with the dog.  Kids are more likely to stick with activities that become a part of their daily routine.

Make it Interesting – Mix it up by suggesting a variety of physical activities to participate in.  Be spontaneous and keep kids enthusiastic.  If the weather is on the mild side, grab the kids and take a hike.  On snowy days, get outside and build a snowman.

Keep a Record – Keep track of everyone’s progress.  Having a visual of activities kids have engaged in is a perfect way for them to feel accomplished and successful, as well as a great motivator for setting future exercise goals. 

Get involved in Community – Find a cause that is near and dear to your heart and sign the family up for a 5K walk/run.  It’s a great way to exercise and feel terrific about giving back to local charities and communities in need. 

Let it Snow – When the first snowfall hits, grab the kids and their snow gear and head to the nearest hill for a day of sledding.  It’s a fantastic way to connect with friends and neighbors, have fun and get great exercise.

Plug in to Healthy Videos – Put on video games that require movement.  Get moving to a dance video, sports challenge, or just jamming in a family rock band.  Its quality family time that will definitely make you sweat.

Be a Positive Role Model – Limit your own texting and social media time and embrace an active lifestyle.  Studies show that active lifestyles learned as children are much more likely to stay with a person into adulthood.  Lead by example.

So keep moving, keep it fun, and keep kids active all year long!