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In my preceding Psychology Today pieces, “Let the Kids Sleep” (February 2016) and “Let the Kids Sleep, Part II” (March 2017), I pointed out what may be obvious for parents of teens: along with anticipated biological changes of adolescence affecting mood and emotions comes a rather dramatic, and for some surprising, change in sleep patterns. Bottom line: teens need more sleep…

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste” marks the beginning of a 1927 prose poem, “Desiderata,” by American writer Max Ehrmann. A copy of this well-known piece, the Latin translation of which is “things wanted or needed,” hangs in the reception area at Cape Cod Sea Camps and amplifies not only the sometimes-tumultuous nature of…

Twenty years ago last month, I published an opinion editorial in the Cape Cod Times titled “Tell Teens: Character Does Count.” It was in response to a plethora of content in the media advising parents on how best to counsel their children on information recently made public in what has become known as the Starr Report. That…

The current hit song “I Like Me Better” by Lauv highlights the powerful nature of connection with others. Perhaps it’s those relationships that hold the key to addressing the epidemic that is youth suicide. September marks National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, an important time to re-educate ourselves as to how best we can keep those we…

In a May/June 2018 Camping Magazine article, “Happy Campers – A Counterintuitive Conversation About Youth Mental Health,” I sought to reconcile the way most kids at summer camp say they feel with a pile of data suggesting that we are facing rising rates of anxiety, depression and suicide among teens and young adults. I began with the…

When it comes to the topic of youth risk behavior, recent data (and events) present both good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news. A Youth Risk Behavior Survey report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meant to focus Americans on youth behaviors related to health and safety, was recently analyzed by The New…

As camp professionals we’ve got a lock on how to plan for, organize, and deliver high-quality summer learning programs for children and young adults. Amidst the rush of preparing our staff to be effective counselors of youth, establish meaningful mentoring relationships, and model such important constructs as sensitivity, positive risk-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership, we…

Ending summer and starting school may present as significant challenges for young people of all ages. This may be especially the case for those who participated in experiential learning programs, such as summer camp, during June, July or August. Indeed, after the last activity has ended, the last marshmallow has roasted, the last sunset has…

First, the good news. A new Youth Risk Behavior Survey report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partially meant to focus the nation on behaviors among young people that cause the most serious health problems, and to assess how those risk behaviors change over time. This will help to foster critical prevention strategies for…

A new report from the Pew Research Center reveals the staggering amount of time young people spend online. It states that today almost half (45 percent) of 13- to 17-year-olds say they are online on a “near-constant basis,” essentially doubling the number from a Pew measure in 2014-2015. And a lot of that time is on social…