Articles


Teens try out college

When I think back to some of the best times of my life, I remember back to camp and college.  These were times of freedom with purpose.  So when your kids have really outgrown camp, or you want them to experience alternatives that are available, heading off to college for a summer experience is a great option.  

Posted: 8/31/2021 6:57:35 PM

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4 Types of Teens/Summer Plans

Over the past decade, I have raised my own kids to their successful independence (phew) and have helped so many families guide their teenagers to use their summers for exploration, competency development and launching into college.  

Posted: 8/31/2021 6:43:53 PM

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P2P – Passion to Proficiency

My very first teen guinea pig was a freshman in high school and also happened to be my niece.  She had fallen in love with photography and wanted to travel the world shooting pictures.  My response, “Great!  But do you really know what you are doing with that camera?”  We established a plan of action which I now call P2P:  Passion to Proficiency.

Posted: 8/31/2021 6:40:42 PM

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Passion to Proficiency Really Works

For 20 years, I have worked alongside college counselors to identify students' passions and bring them to proficiency during the summer months.  Here is an interview of one of many success stories.

Posted: 8/31/2021 1:03:07 PM

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Camp 2021 Opened Successfully

DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES, OUR CHILDREN WERE FREE TO PLAY, FREE TO HUG, FREE TO LAUGH OUT LOUD, AND FREE TO RECONNECT WITH SEEING A HUMAN IN REAL LIFE RATHER THAN THROUGH A SCREEN!!!

Posted: 8/31/2021 7:24:54 AM

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Decision-making Teens? How?

I know… It’s an oxymoron.  Teenagers don’t make decisions and when they do, the decisions are often times not quite what feels comfortable to the adults in the room.  But this is very normal and age appropriate.  It has been shown that the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls reasoning and helps us think before we act, develops later than the amygdala which is responsible for instinctual reactions including fear and aggressive behavior.

Posted: 8/30/2021 9:00:00 PM

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Summer 2020 - Unchartered Territory

There is only one thing you don't want to see this summer. And that is lethargy. There are lots of options to get your kids moving. Get ideas for your family by filling out the contact form and getting personalized ideas for your needs.

Posted: 6/8/2020 7:46:20 AM

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Summer Travel Abroad

You finally have decided to let your teen travel abroad but yet, you are terrified.

Posted: 5/17/2017 11:57:22 AM

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Doing your homework

There is so much information on the internet that you really begin to question what is real and what is not so real.    For example, my son recently hired a moving company to move a small amount of furniture from Aventura to Ft. Lauderdale.  The company received all the necessary stars, on line, to indicate that they were a reputable moving company.  He SMARTLY put the deposit on a credit card.  He took a day off from work and had to make the move during a small window of time to accommodate the rules and regs of two condo associations.  Needless to say, they never showed up.  He did receive his deposit back, but he was definitely “taken” by the on line credentials.

Posted: 11/13/2016 2:10:28 PM

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Teen Programs and Options

I will be spending the next couple of days meeting, greeting and learning about new and exciting programs for teens.  I have spoken with so many parents who all agree — we wish we could attend these programs today!!  

Posted: 11/10/2016 6:37:36 PM

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Will they go back to the same camp?

Some of the kids are home, and some are expected in a week to ten days.  The summer has flown by and it is already time to get school supplies, uniforms, and finally get to the reading list that was never started.

Posted: 8/4/2016 1:46:43 PM

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Are They Listening?

Graduation is around the corner.  Awards ceremonies are near.  Summer camp duffels need to be ordered and arranged.  This is such a busy time of the year.  So exciting, so frustrating, so overwhelming….  So how, as a parent, do you deal with it all?  

Posted: 5/20/2016 6:46:19 PM

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Specialty vs General Camp

Over the past ten years, I have spoken to hundreds, maybe thousands of parents.  Typically, I speak to moms who either are the driver behind sending their children to camp or they are the implementer of the decision that both parents have made.  So here is a typical conversation.  My son, he is the oldest of three, is 9 years old and he is an amazing …..  fill in the blanks.  Let’s use tennis as the example because since I am a tennis player, it is easy to talk about, and familiar to many families.

Posted: 3/20/2016 4:12:12 PM

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Is 13 too old to start camp?

I was a sleepaway camp counselor for many many years.  My favorite age was the 12, 13 and 14 year old campers.  They thought they knew EVERYTHING!!  It was great, exciting, fun, challenging and eye opening.  These kids seemed to know a lot more than I thought they should know.
And yet, they were well into their formative years.

Posted: 1/20/2016 1:58:28 PM

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