Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults

by Audrey Monke, Tina Payne Bryson PhD (Foreword by)

Overview

Written by a camp owner and mother-of-five with a masters in psychology, HAPPY CAMPERS shares nine proven summer camp secrets parents can use at home to foster family connection and raise kids who are confident and capable, and who become thriving adults.


Many of us live in suburban neighborhoods with nice yards, but without children in them often enough. We're out to dinner and notice a silent family, faces tilted toward their individual screens. Or maybe that family is us.
In a social media culture, more than ever, the tried and true benefits of summer camp are being lauded for the value they've always held. Camp encourages real connection, grit, self-reflection, optimism, and self-confidence, and it does so without dependence upon technology. By implementing the proven principles of camp in our own homes, we can provide our kids with the tools they need to develop into thriving adults.

Summer camp is attended by more than 12 million kids every year and research in positive psychology has proven that kids are just plain happier at camp. HAPPY CAMPERS explores the reasons why, and offers parents nine secrets of summer camp that they can use to reap the benefits of camp for their children at home. Extra resources are included at the end of each chapter, such as questions for connection, family meeting topics, and activities to help families implement each summer camp strategy at home.


Chapters include:
Connection Comes First,
Positive Practices Produce Optimistic Kids,
Grit is Grown Outside the Comfort Zone, and
Coach Kids to Better Friendships

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781546081791
Publisher:	Center Street
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	784,812
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Audrey Monke has a masters in psychology and has worked with thousands of parents and campers as owner and director of Gold Arrow Camp in Lakeshore, California since 1989. Known by her camp name "Sunshine" Audrey is a speaker and writer about positive parenting techniques, sharing her insights on raising optimistic children. She is a former president of the Western Association of Independent Camps, as well as a regular contributor to Camping Magazine and the American Camp Association's Camp Parents blog. Audrey and her husband, Steve, have five children.

Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. is a pediatric and adolescent psychotherapist, parenting consultant, and the director of parenting education and development for the Mindsight Institute. A frequent lecturer to parents, educators, and professionals, she lives near Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

Table of Contents

Foreword Tina Payne Bryson, PhD ix

Introduction: What Parents Can Learn from Summer Camp xv

The "Magic" of Summer Camp 1

They Call Me "Sunshine" 4

Strategies for Bringing the Magic of Camp Home 7

Camp Secret #1 Connection Comes First 10

Camp Secret #2 Catch Them Doing Something Right 37

Camp Secret #3 Positive Practices Produce Optimistic Kids 65

Camp Secret #4 All Kids Can Be More Independent (Even Clingy Homebodies!) 82

Camp Secret #5 Grit Is Grown Outside the Comfort Zone 102

Camp Secret #6 Kids Are More Capable Than Parents Think They Are 129

Camp Secret #7 Kids Thrive with Structure 153

Camp Secret #8 Make It Cool to Be Kind 173

Camp Secret #9 Coach Kids to Better Friendships 195

Final Thoughts: The Magic of Family 217

Acknowledgments 221

Resources:

Bringing Camp Home Activities 225

Camp Secrets Recap 226

Family Meetings 230

Questions for Connection 232

Undesired Behaviors and Skills to Build 234

VIA Character Strengths 235

Household Task Audit 236

Ready for Adulthood Checklist 237

Social Skills Checklist 242

Notes 243

Editorial Reviews

"HAPPY CAMPERS—full of practical and powerful tools that parents can immediately put into practice—lights a path to help parents nurture a culture of connection in our homes...to help our children become their best selves."— Tina Payne Bryson, Ph. D., LCSW, and New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole-Brain Child and The Yes Brain

"HAPPY CAMPERS offers the big dose of positivity parents need! Make your parenting far more enjoyable and effective by adopting the practices camp counselors use to create fun, life-changing, and character-building experiences. The Bringing Camp Home Section at the end of each chapter provides proven ideas and practices to raise kids who are more capable, kind, resilient, and optimistic—and who have the skills to thrive as adults!"— Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Energy Bus and The Power of a Positive Team

The recipe for...connection, positivity, independence, and perseverance that can turn any kid into a his or her best self.— Jessica Lahey, teacher and author of the New York Times bestseller The Gift of Failure

HAPPY CAMPERS is a joyful and wise parenting book...I have never read a more optimistic and well-grounded guide to parenting.— Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, school consultant, international speaker, and bestselling author of Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys

With this book, parents can bring home the magic of camp and learn all the simple secrets the counselors use to build meaningful relationships that will help your child grow and meet their fullest potential as young adults.— Dr. Jim Sears, pediatrician, camp doctor, and co-host of The Doctors

From the Publisher