Sunshine Parenting

Audio excerpt from Audrey Monke's book, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Now available at Audible.

SHOW NOTES My guest this week is Dr. Nicole Beurkens. As a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced degrees in psychology, education, and nutrition, Dr. Nicole Beurkens is the world’s leading holistic child psychologist. She has dedicated her 22+ year career to providing parents with research-based strategies that get to the root of children’s attention, anxiety, mood, and behavior challenges so they can reach their highest potential. She runs a multi-disciplinary evaluation and treatment clinic and is a best-selling author, published researcher, award-winning therapist, and experienced mother of four. Big Ideas One of the best things we can do for our kids is stay grounded ourselves and model that for them. There is often not a “right” or “wrong” choice. It’s important to look at what is best for your family to help you decide. It’s important for kids to have independent time either by themselves or with their siblings. It’s helpful to pay attention to our coping skills and model healthy ones for our fa

 SHOW NOTES Join Audrey's email subscriber community for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families.  Jean Rogers is the Director of the Children’s Screen Time Action Network, where she leads a coalition of practitioners, educators, advocates, and parents who collaborate on practical methods to reduce children’s time on screens and digital devices, mitigate the dangers, and preserve childhood in the digital age. Jean is the host of Action Network Live!, a webcast bringing experts to parents on how screens impact all aspects of child development. She writes a weekly blog and speaks widely to parents, teachers and activists, empowering them to implement simple solutions to a complex 21st century parenting challenge. Jean earned Masters’ degrees in Education and Parenting Education at Wheelock College, where she took up the mantel of Susan Linn and Diane Levin, trailblazers in media literacy, play-based learning, and avoiding a commercialized childhood. Prior to working at the Action Network, Jean

Show notes & links available here. In this episode, I'm talking to Lenore Skenazy about how letting her 9-year-old son ride the subway alone in New York City led to her being labeled the "World's Worst Mom" and sparked the Free-Range Kids movement. Her book, Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children Without Going Nuts with Worry, along with the programs developed and promoted by Let Grow, counter the culture of overprotection. Big Ideas Over the last decade, Lenore has been fighting the societal belief that our children are "in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of a non-organic grape." People feel so much fear for their kids' safety, even when there's no reason to be afraid. A free-range childhood means kids can go outside after school and play with their friends without it being a structured, supervised activity. There are 5 reasons why parents today are so much more af

Today’s show, Episode 85, was recorded live at Pegasus School in Huntington Beach as part of their PEGtalks parent education series. I’m with my frequent guest, Sara Kuljis, the owner and director of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp. We talked about my book, Happy Campers and we discussed Camp Secret #5,… The post Ep. 85: Grit is Grown Outside the Comfort Zone (PEGtalk) appeared first on Sunshine Parenting.

In Episode 98, I'm chatting with Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association. Last year, in Episode 46, we talked about summer camp, accreditation, and #CampKindnessDay (July 20, 2021). In this episode, we talk about the research about the positive impact of camp, our joint passion for partnering with parents to bring camp to schools and homes. Tom uses my new favorite word, "camplify," to describe this spreading of the camp message to other venues outside of camp. Big Ideas There are an estimated 14 million kids going to camps in the U.S. this summer. Ninety-three percent of American Camp Association camps offer financial aid and scholarships for campers. Parents need to work well in advance to apply for those resources. Parents can use the 'Find A Camp' tool on the American Camp Association's website to search for the ACA accredited camps. This is a parent's best assurance that a camp has met the foundational standards of a safe and healthy camp experience for their child. There are many d

Just in time for summer, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults is now available on Audible! Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 37, Sara Kuljis (of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp), and I share tips and ideas for parents sending kids to overnight camp for the first time. Camp Preparation Topics We Cover  Forms: What parents need to do now, including reading through camp information and filling out all your camp forms thoroughly and completely. Why camp staff needs the forms well in advance of your child's arrival. Importance of letting camp directors know any special circumstances that might impact your child's stay. Medications: Why it's never a good idea to make any changes in prescription medication right before camp. Importance of sending all medications in their original prescription containers. Thoughts on whether to continue vitamins

Start listening to Happy Campers now! Just in time for summer, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults is now available on Audible! This week's podcast features an excerpt from the audiobook, "The Magic of Camp," that precedes the 9 Summer Camp Secrets. Learn ways to better connect with your kids, implement positive parenting practices, and help your family thrive, all during your busy days at home, at work, or on the go. Let HAPPY CAMPERS serve as a resource you'll refer back to throughout your parenting years as you connect with your kids, create a positive family culture, and coach your kids to grow their kindness, optimism, grit, responsibility, independence, and friendship skills. Thank you for joining me in raising a generation of kids who become thriving adults!  

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 39, Sara Kuljis (of Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp and Emerald Cove Day Camp) and I continue our conversations and advice for parents new to the overnight camp experience. In Episode 37, we talked about how to prepare yourself and your camper for overnight summer camp. In this episode, we talk about preventing homesickness before camp starts as well as handling your child's homesickness once they are at camp! Prefer to watch our video chat instead of listening to the podcast? Resources/Related: Ep. 173: Homesick and Happy with Michael Thompson, Ph.D. 10 Messages for a Homesick Camper Homesickness Help Secondary Homesickness: When Your Camper Doesn't Want to go Back to Camp Why Kids Need to Get Uncomfortable More information about Audrey’s new book is here: Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. In Happy Campers, Audrey shares

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In Episode 91, I'm chatting with my longtime friend and fellow camp director, Maria Horner. Maria and her husband, Tom, have been the executive directors of Catalina Island Camps since 1995. We discuss four reasons why parents don't need to worry while their child is at camp this summer. 1. You have chosen a camp program that's accredited by the American Camp Association. This means that the camp meets the ACA's high standards to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for your child. 2. You have been in touch with the camp director. Always be upfront with any issues your child may be dealing with so that the staff can be prepared to help them. Take time review at all the material that the camp has sent you ahead of time and phone them with any questions you may have. 3. You have prepared your child for the experience: You've allowed your child the opportunity to sleep away from

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. In this episode of the podcast, I interview Dr. Laurie Browne, Director of Research for the American Camp Association, about the five-year camp impact study being done by an external research team through the University of Utah. The study explores the lasting impacts and the ways camp experiences prepare young people for college, their careers, and their lives beyond camp. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Laurie and learn more about the incredible research that’s finding that camp truly does have an amazingly positive impact on the development of young people. BIG IDEAS The ACA wants to make sure that camps thrive into the next century and that they serving more campers and in better ways. The heart of this five-year study consists of three major components: the youth, the staff, and leadership development. Its objective is to determine the lasting impacts of camp and th

Show Notes Visit Sunshine Parenting for more episodes & resources. Join my PATREON squad for special perks, including bonus podcast episodes, exclusive posts, and resources.  Subscribe for resources and ideas for happier, more connected families. Let's all take a few nice, long, deep breaths. Hi Friends, We'll be needing a lot more deep breathing in these coming weeks! This week's episode is a recording of a live webinar Sara Kuljis & I did earlier this week. Our topic was Creating Structure, Fun, & Connection while we have our kids home and have a whole lot of unstructured time on our hands. Participants shared many amazing resources, which I have included in this post (scroll down). If you'd prefer a downloadable PDF (with links), use the sign-up box below. While this is a challenging time, we can also view it as an opportunity to evaluate, do a reset and add in more fun and connection to our family lives. Please send me your challenges, questions, and feedback. I'd love to connect! Stay well!

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more posts, podcast episodes, and free downloadable resources. Best-selling author of nine books, child development expert, and psychologist Michael Thompson, Ph.D. talks about "good enough" parenting and the benefits of summer camp and other away-from-parents experiences. Hear tips from on expert on how to help kids grow their decision-making, self-reliance, and independence. About Michael For nearly thirty-five years, Michael Thompson, Ph.D. has worked as a clinical psychologist, school consultant and international speaker on the subjects of children, schools and parenting. He's authored nine books focusing on the emotional lives of boys, friendships and social cruelty in childhood, the impact of summer camp experiences on child development, the tensions that arise in the parent-teacher relationships, and psychological aspects of school leadership. Michael's work with independent schools and public school districts throughout the United States, and with internation

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more resources & episodes. In this episode, Jean Rogers, Director of the Children's Screen Time Action Network, and I talk about children's well-being, ways to maximize your family's screen-free time together, and fun resources for celebrating Screen-Free Week. Jean and I talked about The Social Dilemma (documentary) in Ep. 159 of the podcast. You can listen to that episode here. I joined Jean and Lenore Skenazy on an Action Network Live webinar "Let them make pancakes: Helping kids flourish during a camp-less, COVID-19 summer." About Jean Rogers Jean Rogers is the Director of the Children’s Screen Time Action Network, where she leads a coalition of practitioners, educators, advocates, and parents who collaborate on practical methods to reduce children’s time on screens and digital devices, mitigate the dangers, and preserve childhood in the digital age. Jean is the host of Action Network Live!, a webcast bringing experts to parents on how screens impact all aspects of child d

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more resources & episodes. Get on your shoes, hop on your treadmill or go outside, and join summer camp directors, moms, & joy chasers Audrey "Sunshine" Monke & Sara "Salsa" Kuljis as they share updates, resources, ideas and encouragement with each other and with you! In this episode, we're talking about UNPLUGGING & SCREEN-FREE WEEK! Related 9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults Ep. 159: The Social Dilemma with Jean Rogers [Encore] Ep. 116: Why We Need to Unplug to Connect with our Families Ep. 96: Unplugged & Happy at Camp Ep. 35: Unplugging Your Family with Jill Stribling My 24 Hours Unplugged Ep. 17: Unplugged Middle School Lunch with Rebecca Gogel Why We Need to Unplug to Connect with Our Families 5 Reasons to UNPLUG Get Unplugged Ep. 7: Family Pace and Space with Sara Kuljis Raise Thriving Kids Workshop Wait List Screen Free Week Resources Screen-Free Week is an annual invitation to play, explore, and rediscover the joys of life beyon

Best selling author and amazing human Julie Lythcott-Haims has done it again with her new book, YOUR TURN: How to be an Adult. She offers the guidance, empathy, and sound wisdom young adults need to hear. Listen in on our chat about YOUR TURN in this episode of the podcast. About Julie WRITER. SPEAKER. HUMAN. Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, will be out in April 2021. Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Co

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more resources & episodes. Get on your shoes, hop on your treadmill or go outside, and join summer camp directors, moms, & joy chasers Audrey "Sunshine" Monke & Sara "Salsa" Kuljis as they share updates, resources, ideas and encouragement with each other and with you! Watch the video of this Walk & Talk on Facebook

Show Notes Enjoy my conversation with 23-year-old Emma Liberman about her insights from Julie Lythcott-Haims' new book, YOUR TURN: HOW TO BE AN ADULT. I asked Emma to read and review my early copy, and she knocked it out of the park with her insights. Links Julie Lythcott-Haims Website Your Turn: How to Be an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now, Meg Jay, Ph.D. Resources/Related [ENCORE] Ep. 139: Doing Life with Your Adult Children with Jim Burns Ep. 160: Cranky Young Adults Stuck in the COVID Vortex Ready for Adulthood Check-List for Kids 9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults Ep. 57: The Importance of Adult Friendships with Sara Kuljis 7 Ways to Help Your Daughter Become a Thriving Adult Three Strategies for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults How Camp Helps Parents Raise Adults

Show Notes The Addiction Inoculation In this supportive, life-saving resource, the New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure helps parents and educators understand the roots of substance abuse and identify who is most at risk for addiction, and offers practical steps for prevention. Jessica Lahey was born into a family with a long history of alcoholism and drug abuse. Despite her desire to thwart her genetic legacy, she became an alcoholic and didn’t find her way out until her early forties. Jessica has worked as a teacher in substance abuse programs for teens, and was determined to inoculate her two adolescent sons against their most dangerous inheritance. All children, regardless of their genetics, are at some risk for substance abuse. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, teen drug addiction is the nation’s largest preventable and costly health problem. Despite the existence of proven preventive strategies, nine out of ten adults with substance use disorder repo

Visit Sunshine Parenting for more resources & episodes. Get on your shoes, hop on your treadmill or go outside, and join summer camp directors, moms, & joy chasers Audrey "Sunshine" Monke & Sara "Salsa" Kuljis as they share updates, resources, ideas and encouragement with each other and with you! Watch the video of this Walk & Talk on Facebook   Related Episodes & Posts Ep. 28: Focusing on Our Kids’ Strengths with Audrey and Sara 4 Ways to Focus on our Kids' Strengths Ep.115: Giving Kids Meaningful Compliments (Sara talks about 3 "Levels of Affirmation") Ep. 57: The Importance of Adult Friendships with Sara Kuljis Presence: My One Word for 2020 Giving Kids Our Full Attention Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success in a Distracted World Links A World Without Email, Cal Newport CDC Updates Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools to Reflect New Evidence on Physical Distance in Classrooms Upside Down Pizza (Tasty) Parenting in Place Masterclass