Advice For Parents

When parents send a child to residential summer camp, they picture their child looking like the kids in the camp brochure — suntanned, laughing, with an arm wrapped around a new best friend. While this scenario could be true for many children, it’s not always the case for children who struggle with coping or self-care skills. Statistics show that one in four youths struggle with a mental health problem — varying from mild to severe — including anxiety and...

When you hear the phrase, “summer slide,” you might think about fun times at the water park. But the phrase refers to the documented loss of learning that occurs during summer vacation. Studies show that many youths experience a setback in their education when school takes a pause and they are away from structured learning and the discipline of the classroom. Research demonstrates that at least a month of a child’s overall ability to learn is lost over summer...

As a child growing up in rural Connecticut, our daughter Janet had always been a bit of a homebody. Possessing a rather shy and reserved personality, she was a cautious soul – content to stick close to her family and friends, unwilling to “put herself out there” in uncomfortable social settings.  When it was time for college, we had assumed Janet would stay close to home. But she was unexpectedly awarded a generous college scholarship that was too good to refuse....