Dealing with homesick campers can be challenging. Camper encouragement and counselor planning before camp starts is helpful. Upon arrival, don't dwell on the campers' homesickness. Help the camper connect--with older campers, a counselor, or a potential bunk-mate--and avoid free time. The first night is often the most difficult time; consult with…

Discusses the best ways to deal with campers' homesickness and ways to prevent its onset. A definition of homesickness is given, and physical and behavioral characteristics of homesick campers are listed. Preventive measures include ice-breakers, establishing ground rules, and keeping campers busy. Setting goals with the camper and giving some…

Camp counselors who are "life changers" nurture relationships within which others can grow and explore. They challenge children to reinvent the boundaries of what they expect of themselves. Such people have common characteristics that include love, humor, forgiveness, honesty, humility, encouragement, generosity, and integrity. The…

Presents strategies for making peak moments happen at camp. One camp made it a priority for counselors to do little things for campers. One counselor started a bedtime ritual where campers discussed the day's highlights and thanked someone. Another strategy involved campers writing positive notes to each other. Proclaiming one day to be…

Accidents at camps increase when counselors become fatigued or complacent, or step out of their primary roles as supervisors and become participants. Horseplay, time in bunks, and sports activities are hotspots for injuries. Camps must teach counselors how to monitor fatigue and recognize when activities exceed campers' abilities. A video is…

A study of girls' Internet usage collected data from 1,246 girls aged 13-18 via focus groups, personal journals, and surveys. Many girls didn't know how to react to situations like pornography or sexual harassment in chat room conversations. Girls wanted proactive involvement from adults, not just prohibitive advice, on navigating the Internet.…

Teen risk-taking is normal, healthy developmental behavior. Teens act out their fantasies--good and bad--at camp because it is a safe place away from parents. Signs of unhealthy risk-taking, camp staff responses, and how the September 11 tragedy might affect risk-taking are discussed. Sidebars describe tips for understanding adolescent behavior…

Since camp counselors become surrogate parents, they can benefit from learning parenting skills. Parenting styles, relationship building, cabin rules, compliance, positive reinforcement, and discipline are discussed. A sidebar describes a structured time-out program for strong-willed children ages 4-11, and a disagreement program that teaches…

Working in a special needs camp does not require extra-human qualities, it's a matter of changing attitudes. Working with special needs campers presents unique challenges, especially for international staff, but the rewards are proportional to the risks. Working with special needs children is also an opportunity to gain valuable life experiences…

To deal with difficult campers, meet with them at an unexpected place and time, and have as many adults present as campers. Begin with a story, then have each camper share a positive story. Discuss positive possibilities and ask for honest accountability. Frame the solution realistically, get agreement for change, and close with affirmation.…

Provides camp counselors with tips and examples on communicating with campers: establishing a consistent daily routine, offering choices and options (redirecting), validating camper experiences and feelings, and helping homesick campers to move on. A sidebar explains a written exercise to do with a co-counselor to better connect with campers. (SAS)

Three studies of how heredity and environment affect child development are described. Suggestions for applying this knowledge to the management of camper behavior include asking about a child's environment on the camp health form, consulting parents and professionals about a child's behavior, providing loving and safe consequences, and making camp…

Describes strategies for disciplining campers: establishing a caring atmosphere; using praise; modeling positive behavior; using time-outs; keeping campers busy; using conflict resolution; and improving communication with campers by using words they understand, getting on their level, establishing eye contact, using I-messages, and using humor…

Three child psychology studies illustrate that although behavior can be shaped by rewards and punishments, children also learn through imitating adult role models. When parents combine control and warmth, children are more independent, responsible, and content than when either control or warmth is absent. Human behavior is influenced by context…

Summaries of four studies in child psychology reveal that children's attachment to caregivers depends on physical contact more than food; secure attachment to loving caregivers provides a base from which children explore and learn; children's separation behaviors reveal much about their attachment relationship; and children are born with traits…