TPP 162: Summer Camp Success for Differently Wired Kids
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
43 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 12 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why is summer camp considered a rite of passage for differently wired kids?
I do think that we do ourselves and our kids a huge service by being sometimes more like camp counselors than parents. Like, I mean, I realize that, you know, you're not going to be the same as a camp counselor. I mean, none of us are going to be as fun as like the kids camp counselor, but we can have our moments. You know, we can create some of that fun as parents sometimes.
Welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I'm Debbie Reber, your host, and today's episode is about a rite of passage for many kids, summer camp. I know from personal experience that summer camp can have many benefits for our kids. And I also know that it's not always easy to find the best fit or to prepare our kids for what to expect and have a positive experience. So this week, I'm bringing on to the show Audrey Monkey, a summer camp director, parent, writer, and speaker who follows the research trends and best practices regarding parenting, positive psychology, and youth development.
Audrey is also the author of the new book, Happy Campers, Nine Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. a book that introduces a framework of intentional strategies to help parents create the same kind of transformational culture that kids experience at camp. Audrey has researched and written extensively on the topics of summer camp, social skills, parenting, and well-being, and she is on a mission as a parent and youth development professional to help raise a generation of kids who become responsible, independent, and flourishing adults. So in today's episode, we are going to talk about that, but we're not only going to touch upon the benefits of summer camp for kids and how parents can tap into that summer camp magic at home.
But because camp can be such a challenging experience for a lot of our differently wired kids, I asked Audrey to share her insights with us about things like how to communicate with camp staff about a child's neurodivergence, how to find the right summer camp, and how to support a differently wired kid before and during camp and much more. This is a great episode if you're considering summer camp for your child or you have concerns or questions about how to ensure it's a successful experience for them. I hope you enjoy it. And now on with the show. Hey, Audrey, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for having me, Debbie. This is such a great conversation to be having before summer. And I know a lot of parents are thinking about camp.
And so we're going to be talking about camp from many different angles today, which I'm excited about. But before we get into that, can you take a few minutes to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?
Yes. Well, thank you so much for having me on. I'm really excited. I love your podcast so much. My name is Audrey Monkey, and my background is actually as a summer camp director. I've been working at a summer camp for 30, this will be my 35th summer. And so over those years, I've had the pleasure of working with thousands of kids and young adult counselors and parents and have really had sort of a front row seat to just kind of what's going on with kids and trends and parenting and trends with kids. And I've also always had a lifelong interest in well-being and personal growth. And so I've always read a lot about those kind of things and ended up actually going back to school just a few years ago as a 48-year-old to get my master's in psychology because I was really intrigued with the whole field of positive psychology and
And the study of what makes people flourish or thrive and especially how we can apply that with kids. So I, yeah, so I'm a camp person. I have my master's in psychology. And then, you know, on a personal level, I'm married and have five kids. And so been raising five kids. They currently range in age from 15 to 25. And they're all very unique and lots of fun.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is summer camp considered a rite of passage for differently wired kids?
0:00–7:23
2
What research supports the social‑emotional benefits of traditional summer camps?
7:23–13:04
3
How can parents effectively communicate their child’s neurodivergence to camp staff?
13:04–19:09
4
What factors should families consider when choosing the right summer camp?
19:09–23:36
5
Why is ACA accreditation important and how does it impact camp quality?
23:36–28:34
6
How can parents bring the “camp counselor” mindset into everyday family life?
28:34–33:30
7
What is Secret #6 from *Happy Campers* and why are kids more capable than parents think?
33:30–38:41
8
What practical resources (checklists, questions, audits) does the book provide for preparing kids for adulthood?
38:41–43:17
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids