The Countdown Has Begun!

Camp is just around the corner...

It's amazing how quickly time flies and how quickly the memories of a snow-covered camp have been quickly replaced with a vibrant and busy landscape! Camp is abuzz with activity as we're busily preparing for the coming summer. In just 32 days our CITs will be arriving, which means Session One begins in thirty-three! In the span of just over a month the first phase of the new High Ropes Course will be complete, training courses in Boat Driving, Water Ski Instructor, Sailing, Lifeguarding and Ropes Course & Climbing will be completed and our 10-Day Pre-Camp Staff training will prepare the 2014 Fernwood Cove staff for an amazing summer. And that's just the beginning!

As we all prepare for the coming summer, we know you're doing the same. Please take the time to read the various aspects of this Moxie Minute to help prepare both you and your daughter(s) for the coming summer. And as always, if you ever need anything we're just a phone call or email away!

Final Summer Deadlines

May 15: Final Bill Payment Due (past due)
May 30: Returning Camper Bunk Request
June 1: Health Form with Doctor's Signature Due
Session 1 Activity Sign-Ups Due
July 1: Session 2 Activity Sign-Ups Due

Letter to Parents of First Time Campers:
Fun, Friendship and Taking Time to Grow

Summer camp can be a wonderful experience for children, full of fun and lasting friendships. Though these reasons alone are enough to make Camp the special place it is, there is more.
Part of what is so powerful and enduring about camp is the "growing up" children do while they are here. Some campers need more time than others to get used to the routines, to adjust to living with others and to deal with the conflicts, challenges and choices that inevitably come with group living. What a great opportunity for children to learn to manage their emotions, to tolerate individual differences and to discover that they can, without constant help from their parents, resolve many issues on their own.
What parent doesn't want their child to be more self-reliant and develop even stronger coping skills? Learning by experience, however, takes time and patience. Children are always a â€œwork in processâ€ - a work that evolves day by day. It requires the ability to keep ones perspective, knowing that, like all of us, children have days that are better than others. The job of growing up takes coaching, encouragement and support -something campers receive from a whole variety of caring adults, including their counselors, group leaders, division leaders and others.

Sometimes parents hear about the distress their children may be experiencing at camp during an adjustment period, like feeling homesick, trying to fit in or be accepted, make new friends or get acclimated to the routines. This can be understandably stressful for you as a parent, since you obviously want the best for your child and you can't be â€œright there" to help out. It can be frustrating for parents to read an anguished childâ€™s letter and be too far away to get the whole story or relieve the urgency.
If you should experience such a moment this summer, it helps to remember two important things about children and their adjustment to camp. First, children behave very differently depending on where they are and what group they are with. For example, they certainly don't behave the same way with their friends on the playground at school as they do when they are at a formal family gathering. Understanding this, don't be too surprised if your child exhibits behavior at camp you have never seen in them before, much of which is positive, but some of which may be problematic or challenging.

Secondly, remember that many children save their "worst" for their parents. Sharing distress with Mom or Dad is a quick way to re-establish closeness in just a few short moments. This is not to say that children deliberately â€œinventâ€ situations. lt is more likely that they tell their story in such a way as to elicit your empathy and therefore create an instantaneous feeling of intimacy. In short, it makes them feel loved by you. Many times l myself have witnessed a tearful camper on a call to a parent, full of desperate pleas to come home, only to see that same child ten minutes later having the time of her life with their friends at the waterfront or some similar activity. So, what to do? This is where you as a parent can make a powerful and enormously useful contribution.

First and foremost, let your child know that you love them and that you are confident in their ability to cope. (They may swear they can't, but stick to your guns. One of the best ways to love your child is to instill in them a confidence they will use the rest of their lives!) Second, remind yourself that camp is a process and that the staff needs time to work with your child. Don't expect results overnight. Growing takes time. We don't get tomatoes tomorrow from seeds we plant today. Children are no different. Third, think of suggestions that might be helpful to our staff in working with your child. Even though children may behave very differently at camp from anywhere else, you know them best. lf you have an idea you think might help, share it with the appropriate person here at camp. After all, the results for your child will be better if we work together as partners. Fourth, encourage your child to share with their counselor (or Group Leader or whatever adult staff member they trust most) what they seem to be saving for you. Our staff can help your child much better if your child talks with us directly. Avoid the â€œtriangleâ€ that may be occurring where you, the parent, are one point; we the camp are a second point; and your child is the third point. Direct communication makes for better â€œtomatoes!â€ All of this assumes, however, that you trust us to do what we have been practicing for years to do well â€”-take the best possible care of your child while helping them grow. You have taken your time to carefully choose our camp and have familiarized yourself with who we are, so you must have developed a trust with us to take good care of your child. We take that trust seriously. Help us make our partnership match that trust.

This letter is written by Bob Ditter who is a well-regarded child, adolescent and family therapist from Boston, Massachusetts Â© Copyright by Bob Ditter

Please remember to fill out your Parent Input Form, which is accessible through your Fernwood Cove web account. Also remember Miss Chris, our camp Mentor, is available to answer any of your questions regarding your daughterâ€™s transition to camp life, and any other questions that may arise during the summer. You can contact her at misschris@fernwoodcove.com. As always, you are welcome to call anytime to talk with any of our directors, Beigette, Jim, Alicia or Caroline. I hope that this letter will be helpful in your preparation with sending your daughter to Fernwood Cove.
Warmly,
Beigette

Planning For Fun-Filled Days in The Extraordinary World

You should have recently received an email from Alicia providing details about choosing activities for the first week of camp. (If you did not receive this email or can't find it contact Alicia and she will send it to you again.) For many campers, choosing their activities is "when they know camp is coming soon!" Activities and activity schedules are a very important aspect to the overall camp experience, and we want everyone to leave camp having participated in the activities they wanted to, and having learned new skills along the way.

We recognize that campers and parents may have differing opinions of what the camp experience should be and what activities are important. As you plan for camp, include your daughter in the activity choice process. It is important that she feels a part of the process and has some ownership over her camp experience. Help her to better understand the various activities that are offered- there are over 60 of them! And emphasize the importance of trying new things and having fun!

Here are some additional pointers to help ensure both you and your daughter get the most out of her camp activities this summer:

If there are activities that are important to you, as parents, make sure she knows and let her know why they are important to you.
Discuss the various activity options and make a list of the activities that are of interest- send this list to camp so she can have a reminder when it's time to choose activities for Week 2 and Week 3.
Include any activities you would like to see her take this summer on your Parent Input Form.
Be confident in her ability to choose activities that interest her- even if they aren't the activities you think she should be doing. Camp is about gaining independence and having the ability to make choices. We will work to ensure your daughter has a well-rounded schedule each week.
If you have any questions, concerns or feedback- please do not hesitate to contact our Program Director, Alicia.

Remember that activity choices are due by June 1 (Session One) and July 1 (Session Two). If you have any questions about the activities that Fernwood Cove has to offer or the activity sign-up process please contact Alicia (alicia@fernwoodcove.com).

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