News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

A new study found that the risk of a child being seriously injured at overnight summer camp is relatively low compared to other popular sports and physical activities.

"The good news for parents is that our data show that serious injuries are uncommon and resident summer camps," said Dawn Comstock, a professor at the Center For Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

• Comstock and her colleagues found that fewer than 3 percent of injured campers required hospital admission.
  
• The vast majority were able to remain at the summer camp or return to camp after they were treated offsite.
• The majority of injuries occurred during scheduled activities, not during unsupervised events.
  

About 11 million children attend residential summer camps every year.

Labels: safety, summer camps

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With most U.S. schools on break for the summer, thousands of adolescents and teenagers are preparing for (or are already attending) summer camp. Though many youth will have a great summer camp experience, some won't. Some young people will feel homesick at camp, others will struggle with behavior issues, and still others with face a variety of different problems.

To help parents prepare their kids for their time away from home, child psychologist Dr. Christopher Thurber and behavioral geographer Dr. Jon Malinowski have produced a free electronic publication titled The Summer Camp Handbook

According to an article in New Hampshire Magazine, this online book has helped thousands of campers prevent homesickness and make the most of their camp experience. The book includes chapters on finding a camp that best fits your child, packing enough but not too much, and maintaining the parent-child connection.

Still thinking about sending your child to summer camp? The clock is ticking, but it's not too late (yet). Check out the Talisman Camps and Programs website for a list of exceptional summer camps for special-needs students.

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Many teenagers will be, or have begun, looking for summer jobs. But in today's economic climate, they may not find employment. Without a summer job to get them up and out of the house, teenagers may spend too much time sleeping and watching television.

Writing in the May 20 edition of The Joplin (Missouri) Globe, guest columnist Mat Anderson encouraged parents to make every effort to keep their kids active during non-school months:

Part of the reason for this decline in physical activity among todays youth is an increase in media and technological consumption among young people. Rather than playing outside for hours as they did as children, many of todays teens would rather play video games, watch TV and spend time on MySpace or Facebook.

You can help get your teens get off the couch by giving them chores to do, and planning family activities such as going hiking or playing mini golf. To ensure that your teens have a supportive, educational, and motivational experience during the summer, you may want to consider enrolling them in a reputable, professionally operated summer camp for teens.

Labels: parenting_tips, summer camps, summer

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Camp Huntington in New York opens its 47th season of summer camps for children, teens, and young adults with pervasive developmental disorders - PDD - and other special needs such as Asperger's syndrome and autism.

Labels: summer camps, special needs, pdd

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Many parents love to send their kids to summer camp - it keeps their children busy and they don't have to spend the summer worrying if their child is getting into trouble. But now every kid can succeed in a traditional summer camp - just as schools have issues with bullies, summer camps can too. Parents whose kids have special needs or learning differences often worry that sleep-away camp will mean weeks of torment for their kid.

Not so today. There are summer camps that specialize in serving kids who might not thrive in the typical summer camp environment.

Talisman summer camps offer all types of adventures for kids with ADHD, learning differences, and Asperger's syndrome. Their main campsite is located in North Carolina, but they have also recently added adventure camps in New York's Adirondacks and in Washington State, including a sailing program for teens with Asperger's syndrome.

Camp Huntington in New York specializes in fun summer camps for children and teens with autism, PDD (pervasive developmental disabilities), and cognitive disabilities.

If you have a teen who is just too rebellious for a regular summer camp, maybe a wilderness adventure or wilderness therapy program would be a good choice this summer.

Whatever your child's particular personality or needs there is sure to be a summer camp that is right for them.

Labels: summer camps

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