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!

Josh Bogard Finishes the NYC Marathon

Congratulations to Josh, our Boys Head Counselor, for finishing his second NYC Marathon on Sunday.  What an amazing accomplishment, and we are all so proud of you.

Josh inspires us all throughout the summer with his dedication, hard work and can do attitude. Watching him compete and work hard in training to complete this wonderful personal accomplishment is truly inspiring as well.




Congrats to Josh for a job well done!!!!!

Get some rest, and starting training for another awesome summer together at Iroquois Springs.

Friends, Friends, Friends....we will always be........

I asked a group of fourth and fifth grade students how they would describe a FRIEND!   The list of qualities they came up with was pretty impressive.  They thought a friend should be “thoughtful, considerate, trustworthy, honest, supportive, accepting, have similar interests, and of course someone fun to be around”.  They definitely encapsulated what being a friend is all about.  And no matter what your age, having friends is an important part of living a happy life.  Research shows that friendship is vital for well being, and can have a major impact on overall health.  The Mayo Clinic finds that friends can increase ones sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness, reduce stress, improve self-worth, and help one cope better in bad times.  And when it comes to friends, there is no better place to develop true friendships than SUMMERCAMP!!!  Camp friends are friends for life.  Camp friends know us as we are, and accept us for who we   Being away from family, and surrounded by peers, gives campers a wonderful opportunity to develop deep and lasting friendships.  Camp friends see us through the day to day, encourage us to take on new challenges, make us feel a sense of belonging, help us through the tough times and most importantly make us laugh.

On December 8^th we will be celebrating our summer friendships at the Iroquois Springs Camp Reunion at New Roc City in New Rochelle.  We are so excited to see our summer family and watch friends get together, catch up, and reminisce about wonderful camp days.  Camp friends have been staying in touch through social networking and texting, but seeing one another in person and being able to talk face to face is priceless.   It’s the warmth of a hug hello, sitting side by side, sharing news and remembering the good times of summer. And after the reunion is over, campers bring home a piece of summer with their bunk pictures and a reunion video re-cap and DVD of the summer. 

We look forward to seeing the campers and staff that are able to attend and will certainly miss those that can’t make it.  But even if you can’t attend the reunion, the summer will be here before we know it and we will be with all our camp family once again.  See you all soon!

“Many people will walk in and out of your life; but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”   Eleanor Roosevelt

Camp and Creativity

Creativity is the most unrestricted form of self-expression.  The ability to create something from personal feelings and experiences can reflect and nurture children’s emotional health.   Creative experiences can help children express and cope with their feelings.  Creativity also fosters growth by providing opportunities for trying new ideas, and new ways of thinking and problem solving. 

When we think of activities that encourage creativity, we often think of artistic endeavors.  While the arts and music are definite creative outlets, creativity is also found in science and play.  Creativity is about generating outcomes that are original and of value.  Creativity focuses on the process of forming original ideas through exploration and discovery.  According to Carolina A. Miranda of Parenting.com, “divergent thinking is an essential part of everyday life, whether it’s navigating office politics or devising a new social-media network”. 

Howard E. Gardner, professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University considers creativity one of the five “minds” or ways of thinking – along with discipline, synthesis, respect, and ethics – that will be essential for young people to succeed in the future.  In today’s world, children are at a disadvantage when it comes to engaging in the creative process.   Games and activities that were once based on imaginative thinking now have step by step instructions on what the outcome should look like.  Take a box of Lego’s for example.  What was once a container of interlocking blocks to design whatever the imagination could dream up, now has clear cut instructions on how and what to build, taking away from the creative process.  Mark Runco, PhD, Director of the University of Georgia’s Torrence Center for Creativity and Talent Development believes we all have creative potential.  “Our job as parents and teachers is to help kids fulfill it”.  At Iroquois Springs we offer a variety of opportunities for children to develop their creative and critical thinking potential by providing a wide range of creative materials and experiences.

Camp exposes children to creative work by providing at atmosphere in which unique and creative work is valued.  U-Build-It is a great example of a program we offer that allows kids to be creative and use their imagination.  Campers use critical thinking when making Penny Boats out of tinfoil and discover just how many pennies they could load onto the boat while keeping it afloat.  Campers come up with creative solutions when participating in the Egg Drop, as they work together to figure out the best engineering to prevent the egg from cracking.  We take old computers, deconstruct them, and create Model Robots.  These activities, along with woodworking, wearable art, kitchen stadium, rock band, digital media, film, rocketry and performing arts all allow our campers to express their creative sides. 

Camp encourages kids to use creative thinking, and creative thinking skills are essential for success in learning and success in life. Developing the capacity to be creative can enrich lives and help children to contribute to a better society.

The Value of Inner Beauty

I read the following statistic in a Dove magazine advertisement, “6 in 10 girls stop doing what they love because of anxiety about their looks”.  How sad is that?  To think that girls give up the activities they enjoy, that have nothing to do with looks, because they are insecure about what they perceive as beautiful.   We can’t deny that it is a tough world out there when it comes to physical appearance.  The media focuses on having the ideal figure, the perfect hair, the whitest smile, and flawless skin. But in reality, the real beauty of a person goes far beyond just physical appearances.  Without inner beauty it doesn’t have much value.   Inner beauty is about traits that make you who you are…your personality and your character.   Inner beauty is about challenging yourself and doing what you love regardless of what you look like. 

We live in an image-focused society where children, especially girls, are aware of what is considered attractive as early as nursery school.  It is not uncommon to hear young girls to say that they like a certain teacher or celebrity because they are beautiful.  And insecurities about their own appearance begin just as early, with negative comments that they are too fat, or have bad hair, or too many freckles or just aren’t pretty enough.  Even if outward appearances are not focused on at home, young girls are not immune to the conversations and critiques that take place outside the home. 

So what can we do to build girl’s self-esteem and give them the confidence to do what they love and celebrate who they are?  The Dove “Girls Unstoppable” project is a great example of teaching self-esteem and celebrating real beauty.  But we too can do our part by stopping our own negative self-talk about our bodies and physical appearance.  Children listen to what we are saying, so we need to end the self-criticism and talk less about what we look like and more about our good qualities.  We need to speak about our accomplishments at work, the neighbor we helped out, the committee we offered our time to, as well as other people we value for the good they are doing.  Girls need to know they are valued for attributes beyond physical beauty.  Let your daughter know you admire her sense of adventure, her compassion, her intelligence, her sense of humor…. Inner qualities she can be proud of and qualities that will inspire her to challenge herself and put herself out there in the world. 

When I think of the women I admire the most, it has nothing to do with their physical appearance.  It has everything to do with their intelligence, humor, compassion, trustworthiness, and inner confidence that shines through.  I admire their abilities to work to their full potential, volunteer their time,  stand in the front row of a dance class regardless of their weight,  use their sense of humor, and to build people up when they are down.  I admire their character, their confidence, and their ability to see themselves for more than just what the mirror reflects back. 

It would be amazing if all young people faced each day feeling beautiful for the goals they have set, the challenges they take on, and the confidence they radiate when enjoying their life and all they have to offer from the inside.  I’d really like for that “6 in 10” statistics to change, and see more young women getting involved in the things that excite them and make them feel happy. 

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical”.  Sophia Loren.