Ep. 194: What Parents Can Learn from Summer Camp

Purchase the audiobook verson of HAPPY CAMPERS here. This episode is the introduction of the 2026 Revised & Expanded audiobook version of Happy Campers: 10 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Independent, Capable Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. "This book offers a parenting action plan that gets to the heart of what we want as parents: to raise thriving, confident, happy adults." - Mark (Amazon Review)

HAPPY CAMPERS Secret #2 is Catch Them Doing Something Right. The chapter covers specific strategies adults can use to bring out better behavior in children. It also discusses what to do (and what not to do) to address behavioral challenges. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or someone who works with kids or young adults in any capacity, this episode is for you. Maria Horner (Catalina Island Camps) and I talk about positive behavior strategies that work at summer camp, home, and everywhere else! Mentions in this Episode HAPPY CAMPERS (Secret #2: Catch Them Doing Something Right), Audrey Monke The Whole-Brain Child, Daniel Siegel M.D. & Tina Payne Bryson Permission to Feel & Dealing with Feeling, Mark Bracket Sacred Rest, Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. Situated, Angela Duckworth Ep. 22: Jedi Mom Tricks (Part 1) with Maria Horner Ep. 33: Jedi Mom Tricks (Part 2) with Maria Horner Ep. 42: Jedi Mom Tricks (Part 3) with Maria Horner Teens Take Time (Sunshine Parenting article)  

How do we prepare ourselves or help prepare our kids to get ready for independent adulthood? This episode is a good one for older teens/young adults or parents of kids in that age range. I talk about my Ready for Adulthood Checklist and how to identify and start learning skills needed to thrive as an adult.  Download the Ready for Adulthood Checklist by entering your email here.  Read more about raising thriving adults in my book, Happy Campers: 10 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Independent, Capable Kids Who Become Thriving Adults.

Do I matter? It's a small question with a lot behind it—for our kids and for us. Feeling noticed, valued, and needed can shape how we experience our families, friendships, workplaces, and communities. In this episode, Sara Kuljis & I talk about the book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection & Purpose, by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. We explore the idea of mattering and how everyday interactions can help us communicate one of the most meaningful messages we can offer: You matter, and your presence makes a difference. Resources Happy Campers: 10 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Independent, Capable Kids Who Become Thriving Adults How to get Closer to your Kid in 5 Minutes a Day [Encore] Ep. 121: The Power of Showing Up with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson

Helping your child or adolescent build the skills to have strong friendships now will lead to the positive relationships they need to have a happy, thriving adult life.  Download the free Social Skills Checklist by entering your name and email here. "The great news is that we know our kids better than anyone else does, and most of us have a lot of experience in social situations. We have experienced social successes and failures throughout our lives and have learned and honed our own social skills. Therefore, we are the ideal guides for our children in the area of social skills and relationships. We are their ideal "friendship coaches." -Happy Campers Secret #9: Coach Kids to Better Friendships Links Happy Campers (Revised & Expanded 2026 Edition)

Do you want to feel less stressed and rushed? In this episode, Sara Kuljis & I reflect on what we're seeing in the kids and families who come through our summer camps. We talk about the decisions and struggles we experienced balancing our own and our kids' schedules when raising our now-adult kids. Download the free Family Pace & Space Worksheet by entering your name and email here. In Happy Campers: 10 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Independent, Capable Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, I share about Sara's workshop & resource, Family Pace & Space, in Secret #7: Kids Thrive With Structure.  Links Happy Campers (Revised & Expanded 2026 Edition) Challenge Success "PDF"- Playtime, Downtime, Family TimeThe Midnight Train, Matt Haig Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, Bob P. Buford Quotes "Sometimes you have to choose." Audrey "Choosing between good options is a life skill." Sara "If the pace feels good, if you're all getting enough rest, if you have enough time together, then it's fine." Audrey

In the final episode of the Tough Twenties series, Gretchen (age 30), Owen (age 20), and I have a conversation about building identity capital in your twenties and how various experiences, whether professional or personal, shape our stories and can influence future opportunities. Owen shares his experience as a beach lifeguard, which, although unrelated to his planned career path, provided him with valuable life skills and discipline. Gretchen, nearing the end of her doctoral program, discusses how her camp counseling experience has been instrumental in her teaching career and her current research. We also touch on the impact technology and social media are having on our lives. Both Owen and Gretchen share steps they've taken to manage their screen time, recognizing the importance of being present in the moment and the potential negative effects of excessive phone use. They share strategies such as deleting apps, setting screen time limits, and creating phone-free times during the day. The conversation highlights the importance of being mindful of our social media usage and the displacement effect it can have on our lives. The time we spend on screens is time we're not spending doing other important things - like building closer relationships and learning new skills. We also discuss the potential future of parenting in relation to technology and the importance of modeling healthy habits for the next generation. During this series, we've reflected on the challenges and rewards of the twenties and have emphasized the importance of embracing this decade as an important developmental time of growth and learning.  I hope this series has provided encouragement and guidance for young adults navigating their own winding paths. Do you enjoy Sunshine Parenting? Please take a moment to give my podcast a rating and review on iTunes. Thank you for being part of the Sunshine Parenting community! Audrey "Sunshine" Monke

In the Tough Twenties series, I'm interviewing young adults, answering questions submitted by listeners, and sharing resources and tips related to thriving in young adulthood and beyond. Whether you're an adolescent or a young adult in your twenties, or you're parenting a young adult, I know you'll be encouraged by this series. Meg Jay, PhD In this episode, I chat with Meg Jay, PHD, a developmental clinical psychologist who specializes in twentysomethings. She is the author of The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age, Supernormal: The Secret World of the Family Hero and the cult classic The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review and on NPR, BBC and—maybe most important for her audience—TikTok. We discuss the positive impact The Defining Decade has had on thousands of young adults as well as a few topics covered in the book, including building "identity capital." Get in touch Submit an anonymous question or comment for the series Resources Download my "Ready for Adulthood Checklist" The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter — And How to Make the Most of Them Now

In the Tough Twenties series, I'm interviewing young adults, answering questions submitted by listeners, and sharing resources and tips related to thriving in young adulthood and beyond. Whether you're an adolescent or a young adult in your twenties, or you're parenting a young adult, I know you'll be encouraged by this series. In this episode, I chat with summer camp directors Andy and Alison Moeshberger. Each year they interview, hire, and train two hundred young adult counselors, so they have a lot of great insights on the skills and traits that lead to success at work for young adults.  We discuss: The benefits of working at a summer camp, such as gaining responsibility, decision-making skills, and leadership opportunities. They also discuss the accelerated learning opportunities, the rapid feedback system, and the development of relationship skills due to the face-to-face communication and round-the-clock community and communication. The importance of being coachable, be receptive to feedback and view feedback as an opportunity for improvement rather than a personal attack. How the best employees are flexible, open minded, and willing to work through the discomfort of challenges and learning new skills.  The mindset shift that young adults need to make when transitioning from a school environment to a professional setting. They note that in school, competition and high grades are often emphasized, whereas in the working world, soft skills and relational skills are most valued.  Overall, they emphasize the benefits of working at a summer camp, such as the accelerated learning opportunities, rapid feedback system, and development of soft skills. Get in touch Submit an anonymous question or comment for the series Resources Download my "Ready for Adulthood Checklist" Mentioned on the Podcast   The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter -- And How to Make the Most of Them Now 3 Reasons to Choose a Job at Camp Instead of a Summer Internship  Why Being a Camp Counselor is the Best Summer Job The Greatest Internship: 6 Critical Skills Counselors Develop at Camp  

In this episode, I share about some myths that can hold you back from living your best life. It's easy to get caught up in the pressure to conform and meet expectations of others. We can find ourselves striving for success based on societal standards or seeking validation from those around us. To live our best lives, it's essential to explore our unique strengths and follow our own path.  During this episode I share about five myths many adults base their lives on, truths that counter those myths, and what you can do now to start living your best life. It took me a long time to learn these lessons, and I really wish someone would have talked with me about them when I was launching into adulthood.  Myths that Might Be Holding You Back Everyone (or certain people) need to approve of our job/career for it to be "successful." Truth: Some of the older adults that you think of as being successful are not happy with their lives and regret not pursuing something they were really interested in but didn't have the same level of prestige/income associated with it.  What to do: Chase your strengths/interests. Spend time learning about yourself and talk through ideas with a friend or trusted mentor.  Some tools you might use: Enneagram VIA Strengths Four Tendencies  Gallup Strengths We have to make really big changes in order to reach our goals. Truth: The tiny, consistent habits are the way most people eventually reach their goals. This is true for both vocational goals and physical goals. "Cramming on something for a couple of hours once in a while as just a slow, steady progression, a little at a time. TINY HABITS, BJ Fog ON WRITING, Stephen King What to do: Break down an impossible-seeming goal and break it down into the tiniest step possible. Ex: Read one page of a book about a topic you want to learn more about. I need to start really big and do something huge for my first career-type job. "I want to write a book." "I want to start a non-profit organization." What to do: Figure out what's the first, very small step towards XYZ (starting a non-profit in a particular area).  Example first step: Do a Google search of the non-profit food providers in your area. Example next step: Volunteer a few hours at one of the food providers. Get an accountability partner!  Brainstorm together Is this step small enough? Circle back in a week and report on your first step, discuss your next step. Once I _________, then I'll be happy. Truths: We actually miss a lot of the great moments in life when we're spending all of our thoughts on this thing out there in the future. It does feel good to accomplish things, but sometimes we feel bad after we reach the goal. "You're gonna miss this" song (Trace Adkins) What to do: Figure out your current "Once I…" statement that you're believing in too much. What's something you can replace that with? Like, what is it about your life right now that you're really enjoying? What are you grateful for in this season? I'll get to ______ later, when I have more time. Truth: Regardless of life stage, your time will get filled by things you can't control but there's always some discretionary time. Sometimes we're not aware of it, because we default to spending time doing things that don't lead to better well-being. What to do: Recognize that you have the same amount of time as everyone else. Figure out what you want to prioritize and schedule it in. Cal Newport Deep Life Podcast - Zero Sum Time Budgeting.  One more idea: You can make time more meaningful and things more memorable by putting a little more effort into it. Laura Vanderkam's "Effortful Fun" Power of Moments, Chip Heath & Dan Heath In conclusion, discovering our unique strengths and path is essential for living a fulfilling and thriving life. It requires us to challenge the myth that we need others' approval or validation for our choices. Instead, we must invest time and effort in self-discovery, exploring our interests, and understanding our strengths. By embracing our uniqueness and following our own path, we can find true happiness and fulfillment. Remember, success is not measured by societal standards but by the alignment between our passions, strengths, and purpose. Get in touch Submit an anonymous question for the series Resources Download my "Ready for Adulthood Checklist"