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They Know What We Show
One of the most common phrases you hear during Arowhon’s pre-camp staff training is “They know what we show.” You can tell a kid 19 times not to do something but if they see their beloved counsellor doing it you can be sure they’re going to want to try it. This has become a relatively […]
ContinueWho chooses kids’ activities?
A mom I know is feeling distraught about her 15-year-old daughter’s gymnastics. But it could be any extra-curricular, it just happens to be gymnastics. This girl has been a terrific gymnast since she first hit the mat at age 5. Coaches saw talent and have been bringing her along for 10 years now. It’s part […]
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Parenting Perfectionist Kids
I was talking to a distraught mom the other day, about her daughter who never feels good enough about herself. Funny (or maybe not so funny) thing is that the mom doesn’t feel good enough either. And she uses her daughter’s insecurities as a weapon to beat herself up. As in: The mom blames herself […]
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In 1964 when I was 14, Barbara Draimin was my counsellor at camp
I was a not very confident kid, recently (and badly) divorced parents. I needed a boost. Every morning at 6, she jumped on my bed and said: “Katesy get up.” And insisted. She kept two canoes in Curve Bay, and every morning before breakfast we paddled together. She drilled me on my standing pry just […]
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Mentoring Modern Men
We consider it a victory at camp that being dominant and aggressive is no longer “cool” for boys. But unlike girls, who have grown up with the permission to be vulnerable and the practice of talking about feelings with their friends, most boys haven’t had the same training. In the “progressive, post-manufacturing, knowledge-based economy” we inhabit, […]
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Parenting as a Gen Xer: We’re the first generation of parents in the age of iEverything
A mother’s perspective on parenting in the age of technology: “Even though I also understand the powerful draw of the World Wide Web and social media and I participate in it enthusiastically, it scares me when it comes to my children and how it will mold and change their experience from mine.” Despite how much […]
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12 Alternatives to Punishment that May Actually Work
We know that simply punishing kids who misbehave doesn’t work because it doesn’t provide them with the tools they need to do better in challenging situations. HERE are some better ideas (inspired by Attachment Parenting). We’d love to hear from you what works for your kids!
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Asking the right questions
How many times have gotten “fine” as a response to a question you asked your kid? At camp we know that the most important thing we can do for kids is LISTEN to them… but sometimes we have to ask the right questions to get them talking. This mommy blogger came up with a list of […]
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Giving Good Praise
At the end of each session at camp, our instructors write letters to the parents of the campers who have shown outstanding dedication at their activity. Most of these are campers who are going for their high class awards, but the instructors write the letters before the high class test has even happened. Partially this […]
ContinueOn line registration
We still paddle a canoe like the Voyageurs did two centuries ago, but Arowhon has joined the digital age for registration and camp forms. We hope this will make life easier for parents, and we KNOW our kitchen and medical staff are going to love how much easier this makes it for them to access […]
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