@AskDocG #NECampConf AskDoctorG COUNSELORS COUNSEL Teaching Young Adults to Mentor Kids with Intention, Connection, and Boundaries

COUNSELORS MUST Keep kids safe. Stick to a schedule. Enforce (and follow) the rules. See the big picture. Solve problems.

COUNSELORS CAN Teach skills. Forge relationships. Build confidence. Develop competence. Make camp awesome!

COUNSELORS OFTEN Take risks.Take risks. Run late.Run late. Forget rules.Forget rules. Focus on themselves.Focus on themselves. Miss opportunities.Miss opportunities. Share too much!Share too much!

TEEN BRAIN

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AT CAMP? Good decision-making requires time and information. Peer pressure is ALWAYS a factor. Intense emotional responses will occur!!!! Sleep deficit clouds critical thinking and increases moodiness.

CREATE INTENTION Light a fire in your staff intentionally: Build on their experiences Heighten their emotions Use peer pressure for good Call them to action!

BUILD CONNECTION Focus on purpose Get them information Encourage {some} risk-taking Challenge them to change a child’s life

DEFINE BOUNDARIES Set limits on sharing –Clear expectations & consequences –Explain reasoning without debate Create a culture that values sleep

TEEN BRAIN ADVANTAGE College-age students possess a completely different kind of authority than do parents, and they put it to good use getting children to set tables, make beds, keep track of their clothes, take showers, take turns and, more important, take risks and accept challenges that would melt parents into a puddle of anxious empathy. These young adults often teach complex, challenging life-and-death skills: sailing, horseback riding, rock climbing, whitewater kayaking and survival techniques. They also teach character and community, caring and sacrifice. College-age students possess a completely different kind of authority than do parents, and they put it to good use getting children to set tables, make beds, keep track of their clothes, take showers, take turns and, more important, take risks and accept challenges that would melt parents into a puddle of anxious empathy. These young adults often teach complex, challenging life-and-death skills: sailing, horseback riding, rock climbing, whitewater kayaking and survival techniques. They also teach character and community, caring and sacrifice. Michael Thompson, PhD, Author of Homesick and Happy

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