Camping In

Is everyone away at camp except your kids? Read the following tips on how to keep harmony in the heat and generate goodwill within your home when your kids are "camping in".

Boredom and heat can increase the negative behavior siblings exhibit toward one another. We can encourage a caring environment in the home by sensitizing our children to the feelings and thoughts of others. Try the following ideas from Dr. Michele Borba's book, Parents Do Make a Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts, to encourage your child to respect and care for everyone at home.

FamilyCare's Covenant
Make a FamilyCare's Covenant to stamp out uncaring words and deeds. To be effective it must be consistently enforced.

Identify uncaring behavior and do not allow it. For example, when a child makes a negative, uncaring comment, bashes or criticizes someone, he must turn it around with a positive statement, orally or written.
Make it a goal to "build up" each other instead of "put down".
Spell out in writing what uncaring words and gestures are not permitted in your family.
Involve all members; make suggestions for enforcement of the rules.
Have all members sign it and post it.
Keep a large glass jar where anyone who says a put-down or other negative comment must "pay for it".
Post of list of chores that a child can do if he is short of money.
When the jar fills up, take it to your favorite charity.

Caring Coupon Books
Charity begins at home. Create Caring Coupon Books to encourage acts of caring and service. Kids can do chores for one another, read to one another, share a special toy, allow their sibling to choose the TV show or music in the car or practice a sport or play a game with the recipient.

Have each child choose a family member to whom he or she will give the coupon book.
Cut paper into 4" x 8" strips.
On the top of each page write "Because I care about you, I will..." followed by a caring chore
Illustrate it and make a cover.
Staple sides together.
Deliver to the lucky recipient.

Your summer "camping-in" experience will be more loving and peaceful if you establish an environment where children's empathy is nurtured by treating one another with respect and caring deeds!

One more tip for camping in — don't forget manners! "A kind heart and kind manners mean you don't hurt feelings and you make other people feel good". The heart of manners is caring about the other person. Kind manners and good behavior makes one feel good about oneself and a stronger sense of self. Consideration of others at home makes people want to be around you.

Print out a FamilyCares Manners Poster.

For more ideas on "camping" activities read "Kids Camp! Activities for the Backyard or Wilderness" by Laurie Carlson and Judith Dammel.

For a summer family service project try:

FamilyCares Caring Camp Collection
FamilyCares Black Out — Boxes
FamilyCares "Bored?" Games Giveaway

Baldrige, Letitia. Letitia Baldridge's More than Manners. Rawson Associates. 1997