Connections & Summer Camp: Part 1
My family and I just got back from summer camp in West Glacier, Montana!
I joined colleagues Brooke White Ober, Patty Johnson, Emily Rea and Cole Johnson of MindBright, LLC for two amazing weeks as they brought a group of special kids together (and gratefully, this included my own!). The MindBright team is eager to learn more about how to incorporate the concepts of declarative language and co-regulation into their work, and I was honored when they invited me and my family to come and be a part of their camp!
Summer camp is an intense and unique experience. We are all together every day for a certain number of weeks. As a result, it is usually memorable for all who participate.
Camp could be memorable because it was hard and not successful, or it could be memorable because the connections made with other people will be remembered and held onto for life.
Unfortunately, our kids with social learning differences often experience the former because many camps have too many kids and not enough skilled support. Our kids feel stress, which leads to dysregulation. As a result, they either withdraw, or they experience challenging behaviors.
Both types of stress responses can be quickly misunderstood by others, and the positive connections that are so important, never quite have the opportunity to form.
Kids walk away with negative memories of camp, and perhaps never want to go again.
MindBright’s camp was different, and so so good!
There were many great activities, yes. BUT it was the nuanced support to help kids connect throughout that was most important. Specifically, we wanted to ensure our campers had time and space to:
process dynamic information (social contexts are always dynamic!).
feel comfortable in our shared space and among each other.
authentically form connections and develop friendships over time.
feel competent, yet challenged at the just right place for each of them individually.
And subsequently,
form positive episodic memories that help them end camp feeling connected and good about themselves, and eager to come back next year.
As we left and drove to the airport, my younger son cried. He shared, “It’s really hard for me to leave places where I have a connection.” The 4 of us all felt the same way, and unanimously voted to return in 2023!
Next week, I’ll share more details of MindBright’s camp, along with examples of how we approached each activity and interaction with a nuanced, process-over-product mindset. If your goal is to help kids feel competent, connected and understood, I hope these ideas and examples will help guide you too!
Stay tuned and have a great week!
Ready for Part 2 of Connections and Summer Camp? Check it out here!
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