Friday, May 18, 2012

8 Things You Can't Teach Your Child, But Camp Can


Some key points from the book “Homesick and Happy”

· Camp is one of the last places for play, reading, writing
· Camp is a place of universally respected rituals and kids love rituals
· Camp is the last place to experience electronics-free down time
· At camp, you see a different child than at home
· Camp means letting go of your kids; if you surround your child with anxiety, you will raise an anxious child
· Children like to learnbut not be taught
· It is simply magical that camp is NOT school
· Camp friendships are so special, because of what they do for each other when their parents are NOT around
· Skill camps are too much like school; they are missing thecharacter and community building aspects of traditional camps
· The only cure for old (home) friends is new camp friends
· The hardest thing for a parent is to withstand homesicknesshomesick means a child has parents and a home worth missing
· The child has to own the camp experience (it is NOT a parent-shared experience)

Michael Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. Read more about him at  www.michaelthompson-phd.com

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