Nate Bosch, PLA, LEED AP’s Post

Sending your kids off to camp might seem scary, but it's also a great way to help them gain independence and grow as individuals. Read more in a piece written by Sheeka Sanahori, with thoughts from Jody Sherman LeVos, PhD, titled, "The kids are going to summer camp. Time to plan an adult vacation" on how parents can better prepare their kids for their first sleepaway camp experience, while also easing their own nerves. https://lnkd.in/gBvN4Xd4

As your teen prepares to transition to high school, here is how they can make the most of their summer break. In this quick video, I share practical tips for fostering meaningful social connections and enjoying fun activities before starting 9th grade. This is a pivotal time. So I encourage parents to nurture their feeling of confidence and social ability. #parentingteenagers #highschool #collegeadmissions

Get practical tips and creative ideas will inspire you to reconnect with kids through the great outdoors and show you how to use nature and time outdoors to expand their academic knowledge and foster a love for nature and learning. https://lnkd.in/eCBFn-xD

College🏫 is a time for your child to grow independently, but that doesn’t mean you’re no longer needed. Be their safe place💜 to land while giving them the space they need. It’s a delicate balance—being there for your child while encouraging their independence. ⚖️ How do you navigate 🧭 this balance as your child heads off to college? Share your thoughts! #distancebutclose #StayConnected #CollegeMom #FamilyFirst #ParentingTips #DistanceButClose #AlwaysThere #connectionmatters #EmptyNest #CollegeBound #MomLife #ParentingJourney #EmotionalWellbeing #Transitions #MomSupport

If you're considering a move to accommodate your growing family, understanding your new neighborhood can make all the difference – especially with kids heading back to school. Welcome to "The Ultimate Back-To-School Guide: Discover Your Neighborhood’s Best-Kept Secrets for Your Kids." 🏫📚 Here are some essential factors to help you settle into your new home and ensure your children's transition is smooth and exciting: 1️⃣ Schools: Research the top-rated schools in your new neighborhood. Visit their websites, read reviews, and consider visiting the schools personally. Look for any special programs or extracurricular activities that might interest your children. 2️⃣ Parks and Playgrounds: Find the nearest parks and recreational areas. These spots are not only great for weekend fun but also for meeting other families in your neighborhood. 3️⃣ Community Centers: Check out local community centers for classes, sports leagues, and events. These are excellent ways for kids to engage and make new friends. 4️⃣ Libraries: Discover your local library's offerings. Many libraries host reading sessions, after-school programs, and fun events which can be both educational and entertaining for your kids. 5️⃣ Safety: Learn about the safety of your new area. Knowing your surroundings and ensuring a safe environment will give you peace of mind and keep your family safe. Transitioning to a new home can be challenging, but being informed about these key aspects can help your family adjust swiftly and happily. Happy exploring, and here’s to a fantastic new chapter for you and your family! What are some of your best tips for settling into a new neighborhood? #BackToSchool #RealEstateTips #FamilyLiving #TorontoRealEstate

What's something you didn't learn in high school that you had to learn the hard way after graduation? This Boys & Girls Club's "Adulting Day" event aims to solve for that, teaching basic finance and saving, self-care tips, driving safety, understanding relationships and more. Check it out: #adulting

Do you want your kids to learn about nature while having fun? Are you looking for a way to spark their curiosity and creativity? If yes, then you should check out nature's classroom: outdoor adventures for little learners! Nature's classroom is a program that offers hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for children aged 3 to 8. It is designed to foster a love of nature, science, and art through activities such as hiking, gardening, painting, and more. The program is led by qualified educators who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with the young explorers. Nature's classroom is not only educational, but also beneficial for the physical and mental health of the children. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can improve mood, attention, memory, and immune systems. It can also reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Nature's classroom helps children develop a sense of wonder, appreciation, and respect for the natural world. It also encourages them to be creative, collaborative, and confident. If you are interested in enrolling your child in nature's classroom, you can visit their website or contact them via email or phone. They offer sessions throughout the year, in different locations and themes. You can also follow them on social media to see their latest updates and photos. Don't miss this opportunity to give your child a memorable and meaningful learning experience! #naturesclassroom #outdooradventures #littlelearners #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhooddevelopment #education

Although overnight camps are increasingly inaccessible financially, there are programs to address this. This is fantastic because they offer so many benefits, including an antidote to too much screen time and the healthy development of life skills. "At my camps, we celebrate “reasonable risks” as experiences to be embraced, not avoided. Seen through this lens, it’s easier to understand why it’s a positive that some of the following happen to every camper: They are homesick and overcome it, teaching them that they can thrive outside of their parents’ shadows. They have a dispute with a friend, are upset, and eventually craft a resolution. They try something new and fail. And fail a few more times. And then succeed through perseverance. They try something and fail without an eventual triumph. We will not always win or succeed. Children should know that they can survive those situations, too. They embrace an activity that is a little scary and overcome that fear, thus fostering courage and confidence. " #summercamp #independence #lifeskills #montessori #sleepovers #outdoors #nature

Wondering how to make your program stand out from the crowd? We've put together a list of the top 5 things parents look for in a summer program. Learn how to communicate your impact to keep campers coming back year after year and to recruit new campers! #SummerYouthPrograms https://hubs.ly/Q02tPvTW0

Adults need summer camp, too. "During Haidt’s keynote, we as camp professionals realized that we are natural allies in the fight against the phone-based childhood. We are uniquely positioned to deliver tailor-made solutions to kids drowning in the onslaught of social media toxicity, polarization, and emotional isolation.  In fact, allow me to make a bold statement: Camps may be the perfect experience to address the exact problems of phone-based childhoods and overprotection. Camps are low-tech, but high-impact. They embody the virtues of a play-based childhood. They foster growth and confidence. And they feature four unusual structural advantages compared to home, schools, or other non-camp environments. Feature 1. Tech-Free. At most overnight camps, children go weeks at a time without seeing a single electronic screen. Instead, they interact with other people face-to-face for 16 hours a day. This is the normal environment, not a punishment, and so they are all able to “be in it together,” creating a transformative experience in which they bond with their peers. This rapid transition from tech-filled days to tech-free days can often be uncomfortable at first. At home, young people use their phones as communication tools, information sources, and solutions to boredom. After a transition period, most discover the joy of living in a tech-free community. They are grateful to be tech-free. Feature 2. Novelty. Camp activities are novel, creative, and fun. Few children canoe, practice archery, waterski, learn ceramics, or share fireside tales at home. A child may do all three in one day at camp. These activities are often so fun that campers forget about their devices and are willing to embrace new challenges in the real world. Feature 3. Mentorship. Camp counselors are uniquely positioned as role models. They are old enough to be adults, but unlike parents, they are cool (sorry mom and dad) and motivating. Campers will embrace challenges at camp that they might eschew elsewhere simply because their counselors encourage them to try. Additionally, unlike most other adults in children’s lives, counselors are tech-free. This matters because children notice and emulate us adults (and we are always on our phones). Counselors prove to campers by direct example that adults can live without a constant connection to their devices and still be cool and happy. Feature 4. Deep Communities. Camps create connected, deep communities. We are together all day for a week or more, making friends and sharing experiences. We bond. Campers report feeling especially authentic at camp. Living in community helps our campers and counselors feel more alive and connected. The combination of these four factors (tech-free, fun, cool counselors, rich community) enables camps to produce happy, stronger, and more resilient individuals." https://lnkd.in/eyjVRxBB