Podcast appearances and mentions of audrey monke

In This Episode, We Chat About: What Audrey did when she took over Gold Arrow Camp in the 80s and the themes they have each summer to teach social-emotional skills like friendship, kindness, and resilience. Resources + Links:   Learn more about our coaching services & upcoming events: https://www.girlsmentorship.com/ Connect with us on Instagram: Girls Mentorship | @girlsmentorship Jill Petersen | @jillphxsen Mary Frances | @msmaryfran   Join our Facebook Community | Girls Mentorship   Show Notes: We got the pleasure of having a fun conversation, especially for us given that we are now in the business of summer camps, with a trailblazer in the industry! Audrey Monke, the owner of gold arrow camp is someone who is deeply committed to creating a kid focused experience with memories and lessons that will last them well beyond their time at camp. She shares how she took over the camp in the 80's and what she's implemented to focus on the kid's experience at camp while helping give them the tools to live a happy and healthy life!   06:45 Creating a positive camp culture and developing kids into leadership. 13:00 Prioritizing kids' experience in summer camp while creating culture for staff. 17:30 How has running a summer camp changed over the years? 23:00 What goes into planning summer camp for the next year? 25:00 How to teach your kids gratitude, kindness, and grit. 31:15 Building legacy through a family business. 37:30 The impact of summer camp experiences on children's wellbeing and social skills.  43:15 Gamifying mundane tasks to make them fun for your kids and the importance of community.

This week, Liz and Sarah have a special guest co-host, friend of the pod and camp owner extraordinaire, Audrey Monke! The three deep dive into grit—how grit helps at work, growing your grit, and why stepping out of your comfort zone is key to gritty resilience. Then, in Take A Hike, EVERYTHING has been going wrong on Season Two of Fantasy Island. Liz and Sarah run through the problems—rain, COVID, food poisoning, no plane (no plane!)—and discuss how they look for the silver linings. Next, in Hits & Bombs, Audrey has a Hit for health checks and a Bomb for burning time and energy. Finally, this week's Hollywood Hack will help kids and adults articulate their emotions: use the phrases “red zone” and “blue zone” to indicate you need a break from a conversation. Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,' a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS Hollywood Hates Cancer Charity Buzz Auction: Virtually Meet Writers/Showrunners Liz Craft & Sarah Fain https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/auction-virtually-meet-writers-showrunners-liz-craft-2389065?preview=1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editor_notify_specialist_email&utm_content=editor_notify_specialist_email+ID_3ad5df6c-ad97-4e26-b176-d34aaf433c2f&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Click%20here Audrey Monke https://twitter.com/audreymonke Gold Arrow Camp https://goldarrowcamp.com/ Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults by Audrey Monke https://sunshine-parenting.com/happy/Get in touch on Twitter: @sarahmfain & @elizabethcraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer camp is a tradition for many kids. But does summer camp work for kids who learn differently? How do you find the right camp? Can the camp support your child's needs? Will your child make friends? In this episode, hosts Amanda Morin and Gretchen Vierstra get answers from the ultimate expert: a camp director. Audrey Monke has been running a summer camp for 37 years. She's also the author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Hear Audrey's advice on summer camp — from how to choose one to what to tell camps about your child. Learn how camps help kids develop social skills, build relationships, and gain independence. Plus, Audrey shares her favorite summer camp tips to use at home. To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org. Understood is a nonprofit and social impact organization dedicated to shaping a world where the 1 in 5 people who learn and think differently can thrive. Learn more about In It and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2022 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. 

What we forget as parents is that building friendship skills is like any other skill, we have to teach it and support it. Just like learning math, learning friendship skills is a crucial part of our kids' future. Audrey Monke joins us on the podcast today to talk about some of the many things she has learned about raising thriving kids from running summer camps (and being a mom of 5 herself!) Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, is the owner and director of Gold Arrow Camp in Lakeshore, California. She is among the nation's most well-respected experts on the topics of summer camp and friendship skills. For more than 30 years, Audrey has researched and improved practices at her camp to promote belonging, friendships, and character growth. Her parenting website and podcast (Sunshine Parenting) have a loyal following of like-minded parents wanting to raise kids who become thriving adults. She is the mother of five adult kids (ages eighteen to twenty-seven) and lives with her husband, Steve, in Clovis, California.  Connect with Audrey Monke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-monke (https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-monke) Join us LIVE each week in our Facebook Group … https://www.facebook.com/groups/blissfulparenting (https://www.facebook.com/groups/blissfulparenting) Connect with Blissful Parenting: Free Workshop ► https://www.blissfulparentingworkshop.com (https://www.BlissfulParentingWorkshop.com)  Website ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/)  Blog ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/blog (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/blog)  Podcast ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/podcast/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/podcast/)  Contact ►http://www.blissfulparenting.com/contact (http://www.BlissfulParenting.com/contact)  Follow Us On Social Media: Youtube ► https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent)   Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent)   Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/ (https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/)   Twitter ►https://twitter.com/blissfulparent (https://twitter.com/blissfulparent)   Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe to the podcast app on your mobile device. Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.

Audio excerpt from Audrey Monke's book, HAPPY CAMPERS: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Now available at Audible.

We’ve likely all heard the idiom “happy campers” thrown around - maybe even from our own mouths as we wish a better attitude on our kids! But for Audrey Monke, those two words have taken on a whole new meaning. She has taken her 36 years of experience as a summer camp owner/director and turned it into a parenting website, a podcast, and now a book - titled “Happy Campers”. In the book, and on this episode, she shares with us camp secrets for raising kids who become thriving adults. She has seen what works at camp, and is inviting each of us to bring a little of that camp spirit into our homes and families. Find out more about Audrey and her parenting resources at sunshine-parenting.com

Salute your shorts! It's camp week here on 16:1! Space Camp! Asthma Camp! This one time at band camp! Chelsea and Katie go in the way back machine to reminisce about all their favorite (and least favorite) camp experiences. Chelsea shares about the funding concerns surrounding making these camp opportunities available to all kinds of students, while Katie talks about the issues surrounding the length of the American summer break from school. American Camp Association - "The Impact of Camp Experiences on Social Skills and Happiness" by Audrey Monke, MA (November 2015)American Camp Assocation - Research Book 2005Journal of Youth and Adolescence - "Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience: Evidence for Multidimensional Growth" by Christopher A. Thurber, Margaret M. Scanlin, Leslie Scheuler, and Karla A. HendersonNew America - "The Summer Care Gap" by Amanda LenhartIdea Stream - Report: "Poor Children 5 Times Less Likely to Attend Summer Camp" by Ashton MarraU.S. Department of Education - "U.S. Department of Education Launches National Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative to Help Students Most Impacted by the Pandemic"U.S. News - "Is Summer Breaking America's Schools?" by Seth Cline

Audrey Monke The Whinypaluza Podcast with Rebecca Greene Episode 020 Sunshine Parenting. Audrey Monke is a mom of five, a summer camp owner and director, an author, a speaker, and the host of the Sunshine Parenting podcast. Audrey shares simple strategies for helping parents raise socially and emotionally intelligent, responsible, thriving kids through creating the connection, social skills, fun, and growth of summer camp at home. Listen to this insightful Whinypaluza episode with Audrey Monke about Sunshine Parenting. Here is what to expect on this week's show: Why getting advice from mom's with children older than yours can be helpful. How parents should work with their children's camp counselors and teachers. Why summer camps are great at helping kids with social development growth. How kids can flourish and grow better when their parents are slightly removed. Why connection before correction is vital to parenting your children. Connect with Audrey: Links Mentioned: sunshine-parenting.com Guest Contact Info: Twitter @audreymonke Instagram @sunshine.parenting Facebook facebook.com/SunshineParenting LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/audrey-monke Follow Rebecca Greene Blog whinypaluza.com bit.ly/WhinypaluzaBook Facebook facebook.com/whinypaluzaparenting Instagram @becgreene5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mean kids.  They’re everywhere.   Let’s face it.  These kids who tease are not horrible human beings (although our mama bear senses want to say they are), they just lack social skills.   In today’s podcast we talk about the mean kids, and how if we want our kids to avoid these mean kids and seek out positive relationships, we as parents, need to teach them social skills.   Resources We Shared: Make Homework Fun Challenge Pack Helping Kids Build Better Friendships with Audrey Monke 5 Reasons Your Last Family Meeting Failed Download the transcripts HERE The best mom is a happy mom. To better take care of you, download our No Guilt Mom mindset here .  These reminders will help you second guess less, and feel more confidence every day in your parenting.

Let’s be honest. We all need friends in life. And not just friends, but good, solid, healthy friendships. But do our kids really know how to do that? Do they really understand how to build a better friendship?   We do our best to teach our kids everything they need to succeed in life. But many of us just kind of gloss over the skills of making and cultivating friendships. We may nudge our kids to go talk to other kids on the playground or ask more questions about that one classmate who when our kid talks about them, they seem to light up. But honestly, how many of us taught our kids at a basic level how to introduce themselves to others, how to find a common interest with others, and how to keep that connection going?    Today we speak with Audrey Monke, a Camp Owner/Director at Gold Arrow Camp, host of Sunshine Parenting podcast/website - Author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults.  She specializes in raising happy, self-reliant, kind, responsible kids using secrets from summer camp! And Audrey shares with us the secrets of coaching our kids to build better friendships. Resources We Shared:Sibling Adventure Log Sunshine Parenting Gold Arrow Teacher Academy Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults Sunshine Parenting Podcast Parenting in Place Download the transcripts HERE The best mom is a happy mom. To better take care of you, download our No Guilt Mom mindset here .  These reminders will help you second guess less, and feel more confidence every day in your parenting.

My guest this week is Audrey Monke, owner and director of Gold Arrow Camp in Lakeshore, California, and one of the nation's most well-respected experts on the topics of summer camp and friendship skills. With over three decades of experience as camp director, Audrey Monke has devoted her life to helping raise happy, healthy, independent, responsible kids through the power of camping experiences. Audrey shares her wisdom and experience with parents and educators through her podcast, coaching, speaking engagements, workshops, and in her book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. In this episode, Audrey and I discuss how parents can create transformational camp culture benefits for kids at home during a pandemic. Audrey encourages parents with children of all abilities and challenges to never cross camp off their list of possibilities for their child. With research-based strategies and real-life stories, Audrey shows how beneficial and transformational camp culture can be for children of all ages to learn independence and flourish into responsible young adults. To learn more about Audrey Monke click here.  Where to learn more about Audrey Monke... SunshineParenting.com Happy Campers Book Sunshine Parenting Podcast Instagram Facebook Twitter

In Episode 149, I’m talking with repeat podcast guest Stephen Gray Wallace about his new book, Impact: An Introduction to Counseling, Mentoring, and Youth Development. The book offers insightful commentary on the important role of mentors in the lives of children and teens. While it specifically addresses camp counselors, Impact is equally relevant for all key youth influencers, including parents, teachers, and coaches. Ep. 27: Raising Teens who Thrive with Stephen Wallace Ep. 92: Creating Strong Relationships with Teens Stephen has broad experience as a school psychologist and adolescent/family counselor. He is president and director of the Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE), a former associate research professor at Susquehanna University, and the past national chairman and chief executive officer at SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions/Students Against Driving Drunk). Stephen also works with the American Camp Association (ACA) as a feature magazine writer, media spokesperson and faculty member at its e-Institute for Professional Development. Review of IMPACT Decades of experience and research are packed into Wallace’s guide for leaders at summer camp. Wallace communicates the responsibility and life-changing impact counselors can have and the many facets of their role, which go far beyond what most people think of when they hear the job “camp counselor.” Covering a multitude of topics that are critical for counselors to understand, with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, the book is user-friendly and can be quickly incorporated into staff training. Lists that offer key takeaways of each concept on topics including developmental stages, disciplinary dos and don’ts, leadership styles, and effective teaching techniques (to name just a few) are instrumental as both a reference and training tool for camp staff. IMPACT needs to be assigned reading for every camp counselor, as the guide clearly communicates the magnitude of the responsibility counselors have for the physical and emotional well-being of other people’s children, the critical importance of developing positive relationships with each of the campers they serve, and an understanding of what to expect and how to handle the different challenges they will face. Camp leaders wanting to be informed and have a positive impact (without having to read the scores of books and articles Stephen Wallace has read) need to read IMPACT and keep it as a resource to refer to when planning training and coaching staff. - Audrey Monke, camp director, speaker, & author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults Big Ideas   Quotes   Resources/Links   One Simple Thing Ep. 133: What's Working (and What's Not!) During COVID-19 My Favorite Related Posts & Episodes Ep. 27: Raising Teens who Thrive with Stephen Wallace Ep. 92: Creating Strong Relationships with Teens Ep. 81: The Power of One with Travis Allison Ep. 87: The Impact of Camp Experiences with Laurie Browne, Ph.D. Ep. 123: Connection Comes First Ep. 89: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men with Michael Reichert, Ph.D. Ep. 121: The Power of Showing Up with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson Ep. 68: 12 Parenting Tips for Happier, More Connected Families 10 Parenting Tips from Camp Counselors

Show Notes My family's favorite word to use is 'unprecedented,' because everything is unprecedented this year. We try to use the word as much as possible.-Audrey Hi Friends, How are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? Many of us - kids and adults alike - are really struggling right now - physically, emotionally, and financially. So much is uncertain, and much has been lost. This pandemic has been devastating. This week (July 2 to be exact) is the mid-point of 2020. What a year this has been. It's nothing like I thought it would look and, for many of us (including me), my life has been turned upside down. I invite you to step back for a few minutes this week and check in with how you're doing in these areas: • Health • Relationships • Work If you decide to join me (and my family, who I'm also having complete the check-in), I'd love to hear any insights you come up with about changes you're going to make for the second half of 2020. In this episode, I talk about my own check-in and the activities I'm finding helpful for my own and my family's well-being. It's normal (and human nature) for us to dwell on all the things that have been lost or cancelled this year, but focusing only on all the negatives of this year is not good for our well-being. The lack of ability to plan is hard for many of us. I love my planner and my lists which, this year, have become useless. For my own (and my family's) well-being, I'm choosing to focus on being present and creating habits that improve my well-being and the well-being of my family in the areas of health, relationships, and work. I invite you to join me in looking at what to continue doing, stop (or reduce) doing, or start doing to make the second half of 2020, regardless of what the rest of this year brings, as good as possible. Thank you for being here! I'm rooting for you and your family to come out of this trial of COVID feeling stronger and more focused on what's really important. xo How are you doing? A Mid-Year Check-In Health How are you feeling physically and is there anything you want to change/adjust for the remainder of 2020 that would make you feel better physically? Areas to look at: • Sleep - Are you getting enough? Are your kids? • Exercise - Do you get at least a walk in every day? • Eating - Are you drinking enough water? Eating whole foods like fruit vegetables? I've always enjoyed exercising, including running, hiking, and my brand-new favorite exercise, indoor cycling on my Peloton. This summer, I've been going on one or two hikes a week and getting on the indoor cycle 3-4 times a week. I've decided that I don't have any excuse this year (since I don't have my camp job this summer) not to exercise, so I do at least a little exercise every day. A few evenings a week, we take a family walk after it's started to cool down, around sunset. Those walks and talks have been a highlight of my COVID days.   I've never been able to be consistent about yoga or stretching (It's hard for me to take the time, have the patience), but I've managed to consistently do a quick 6-minute post exercise routine that's been working for me that includes: Cat/Cow (1 minute) Downward Dog (1 minute) Plank (1 minute) Then I repeat the whole cycle one more time. I'm done in 5-6 minutes and I've had fewer back and shoulder pains since I started. How is your mental/spiritual health during this trial? Many of us are carrying a lot of extra stress and anxiety this year due to the loss and uncertainty COVID has caused. While there is much we can't control, there are a few things that I'm finding helpful to manage my stress. What's working for me: • Practice Presence Spending less time worrying about the past and what's going to happen in the future, and practicing more presence, being in the moment, seems to be just about our only option right now, so we may as well embrace it. • Keep a Consistent Morning Routine Until this year, I've been inconsistent about following a morning routine, but I'm finding that it's been helpful to have some part of my day - and my life - that is staying consistent despite the chaos. Here are my morning tasks (in order, most done while drinking coffee) which usually take me between 30 minutes and one hour: Bible Reading: I'm using the Bible Recap plan to read through the Bible this year. Gratitude Journal Text or note to a friend or family member Exercise I filmed a short video about my morning routine earlier this week:   View this post on Instagram   One Simple Thing: A morning routine can help your - and your kids’ - well being. A post shared by Audrey Monke (@sunshine.parenting) on Jun 27, 2020 at 7:04pm PDT • Create a day of rest or "Sabbath" Ask family members, "What's restful for you?" and make sure you set aside some time to do those restful activities, at least once per week but preferably more often. Create a ritual or tradition to "kick off" your day of rest. Benefits of a day of rest (from A Day of Rest, 12 Scientific Reasons Why it Works, www.inc.com): • Reduces stress • Gives you a chance to move • Reduces inflammation and the risk of heart disease • Boosts your immune system • Improves sleep • Adds years to your life • Restores mental energy • Increases creativity • Increases productivity • Improves focus • Improves short-term memory • Can help you love your job again Relationships How are you doing with relationships? We know that positive relationships are the best predictor of our health and happiness, so it's important - especially now - that we focus on our relationships with our family and friends. Family Dinner Sharing Family Dinner Arthur Aron's 36 questions to get closer to someone you love Questions for Connection Practice active listening/giving people our full attention  Practice empathy "It's so important in all of our relationships we are careful not to step on other people's feelings." "When someone is sharing something we us, we validate that we hear what they're saying." "When you feel heard, it's a really good feeling." Work How are you learning and growing in the area of your "work"? Your "work" is whatever you spend your time doing - whether that be in a job, care giving, or volunteering. Your work is how you fulfill your purpose, how you get meaning in your life. Whether or not you have your dream job, you can always think about learning and growing to give your life more meaning. Consider crafting your own "syllabus" for the remainder of 2020 to cover a topic you'd like to learn more about or a skill you'd like to improve on. You could sign up for an actual online course, or you can create your own syllabus with books, podcasts, documentaries, etc. and have your own customized plan to grow and learn over the next six months - and beyond! Resources/Links USA Today article: No camp for kids this summer? How to entertain your children while you work from home Follow me on Instagram Peloton Calm App Differently Wired, by Debbie Reber The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod The Bible Recap - Daily Bible reading plan (I access the reading plan through the Bible App). The Bible Project - Animated videos explaining each book of the Bible. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer Before Breakfast Podcast Episode - Craft a Syllabus Anti-Racism Resources: There have been many resources shared recently with anti-racism resources. I listed several of my favorite resources (so far) here: Special Message: Listening and Learning How to be Anti-Racist Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources Parenting Resources: Parenting in Place Masterclass Series (Summer, 2020) Happy Campers 9-Week Read Along Do your own Mid-Year Check-In!

As a child development expert, I want to help you keep going in our new reality! This conversation, recorded during March 2020 (in other words at the very beginning of the pandemic here in the US), I know will be super helpful for that. I am excited to bring you my conversation with the author of one of my favorite parenting books (it's called Happy Campers) – Audrey Monke of sunshine-parenting.com is today's OkayCon 2020 guest! Audrey shares: - How to stay positive, even while everyone is cooped up together – Some great family-focused activities you can do to make your stuck at home time more enjoyable – What lessons Audrey, her family, and counselors and campers (who attend the summer camp Audrey owns and runs) are learning from this time Learn how to keep going: In my (free) Weekly Parenting Newsletters I am taking you on my journey of recovering from burnout, exhaustion, and huge feelings of guilt. I am working to feel at peace with myself – to keep going, raising my kids, keeping our household running, and feeling happy inside – and if you want some tools to help you accomplish those miracles, click this link! Weturnedoutokay.com/weekly NPC Summer Camp registration ENDS Wednesday 7/1 One way parents have been feeling way better, recovering from exhaustion, handling their kids' fears, clinginess, and potty training issues: the Ninja Parenting Community. Get access to everything in the community and enjoy a summer camp program created just for you, if you are looking for connection and positivity in our new reality! I am closing registration to NPC on Wednesday, July 1 at 9 PM EST – enroll today, and take that first step toward being able to feel at peace with yourself and (sustainably) keep going! Here is the link, jump in while there is still time: weturnedoutokay.com/joinNPC (go to weturnedoutokay.com/337 for notes to this episode) We will get through this together! Cheers - Karen

"I feel like I'm completely alone trying to meet completely insatiable needs for days on end." That is what one of the moms in my online coaching practice, the Ninja Parenting Community, wrote early last week. She's not the only one. Not by a longshot! In this week's episode I share my best ideas for getting through a crisis. Even a slow-motion, simultaneously-terrifying-and-tedious, pandemic-induced crisis like the one we're in now in June 2020. If your energy, patience, and/or well-being is flagging, first of all let me offer HUGE hugs! Listen to this episode for some practical things you can do to get through the toughest of these tough times. Join us! Links that come up today: Parenting Masterclass For the all-summer-long live Masterclass series, "Parenting in Place," which features lots of WTOO beloved guests and friends, like Audrey Monke, Jessica Lahey, and Devorah Heitner, click here! (I'm signed up for it, and I hope you'll sign up too!) Ninja Parent Playbook! Want to be a part of the (extremely limited) first-ever issue of the Ninja Parent Playbook? This is the brainwave I mentioned briefly in last week's episode – a newsletter to help you keep going, anchored by a calendar that gives you some small step to take every day. But it's so much more than that. It's part workbook, part inspirational thinking, part marching orders to keep you on track. It's packed with informative and thoughtful ideas to help you not just "live through" this (or any) crisis – but really, truly LIVE. If you want to bring your family safely through hard times, while feeling not just as if you're scraping by but as if you are happy within yourself and in your family, you need this newsletter! It's a monthly publication that comes in your mailbox! (If you're outside the US at this point it needs to be a PDF into your email, although I'm hoping that will change in the future : ) Click the link below to sign up: weturnedoutokay.com/playbook WTOO Book Club Click the following link for the WTOO Book Club (we are reading Positive Discipline Ninja Tactics, my first book and one that really gets to the heart of how to have a happy family life) weturnedoutokay.com/bookclub Grand Reopening sale ends Wednesday, June 3 Earlier I mentioned the Ninja Parenting Community, my online private coaching practice; Wednesday, June 3, 2020 is your LAST day to get a special quarterly rate – 3 months for the price of 2! Click this link for details: weturnedoutokay.com/joinNPC Click weturnedoutokay.com/066 for my conversation about consent, with Amy Anderson. Click weturnedoutokay.com/332 for last week's conversation with special needs preschool teacher, and close friend and colleague of mine, Tricia Tomaso (the episode comes up today because I shared last week about the brainwave that has become the Ninja Parent Playbook : ) Click weturnedoutokay.com/333 to view this post in your browser. And again huge hugs! We will get through this together

How, you might be wondering, are we actually really going to get through this time? You're not alone in wondering that. I have been wondering about it too. I've also been feeling terribly guilty, any time that I forget we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and find myself enjoying something, or laughing at a joke, or feeling contented. So today I want to bring you an episode that defines our most important asset, the single most important thing we need to get through this (or any) time of trouble. I hope you find it helpful! (Click here for this post in your browser.) Here are all the links I share about today: 1. Click here for the poem that brought me to tears, and also gave me permission to not feel guilty, but to embrace good feelings. 2. Click here for episode 188, my conversation with Mark McGuinness of the 21st century creative podcast. 3. Click here for the McElroy Family YouTube channel, where you'll find the wonderful series Stories From Your Gaffer, read each evening at 5:30 PM Eastern by Clint McElroy, one of my favorite podcasters ever. 4. Click here for The Adventure Zone, where I first heard Clint McElroy – but please, not with kiddos around! 5. Click here for my conversation with Audrey Monke, broadcast last Friday (in real-time) at Audrey's Sunshine Parenting Facebook page. 6. Click here for episode 273, my second We Turned Out Okay conversation with Audrey, about her wonderful book, Happy Campers. 7. Click here for my conversation as a guest on the wonderful #Am Writing Podcast; I share about my experience doing everything digital by voice, after losing the ability to use my hands to accomplish digital – and lots of analog – tasks. 8. If you are a Ninja Parenting Community member, click here for member Jen's success story, about helping her daughter overcome fears about coronavirus and house fires. She did this in such a cool way (I read out the success story today in this episode). Not a member? Click here to become one. 9. Click OkayCon.com for OkayCon 2020, the FREE Virtual Summit going on right now here at We Turned out Okay! 10. Click here to join the Facebook group – that way you can be part of the OkayCon 2020 watch parties every Monday and Wednesday evening at 8 PM Eastern! 11. I share HUGE news today, about the Happy-in-Place Challenge going on in The Ninja Parenting Community (it starts on April 16, my birthday : ) Right now you can join NPC for just $1 for your first month and each consecutive month thereafter at 50% off the standard monthly rate! You can cancel at any time, so there is no risk… Only the hope, support, and accountability that membership brings. Go to weturnedoutokay.com/joinnpc for details and to sign up!

In the last two weeks, our world has turned upside down. Social distancing, remote learning, and WFH are now the new reality. Liz and Sarah talk to parenting expert Audrey Monke from the Sunshine Parenting podcast about how to stay positive and in the moment during an uncertain and frightening time. As owner of one of the top summer camps in the country for over thirty years, Audrey has spent her life researching and developing strategies for creating a fun, supportive, growth-focused culture for children. Audrey’s message to those of us overwhelmed by.... everything? Lower the bar! Audrey Monke: https://sunshine-parenting.com/ Sunshine Parenting Podcast: https://sunshine-parenting.com/podcast-2/ Happy Campers: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Campers-Secrets-Raising-Thriving/dp/1546081798/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OVPHG3MNRBN&dchild=1&keywords=happy+campers+audrey+monke&qid=1584663883&sprefix=Happy+Campers+audre%2Caps%2C362&sr=8-1

For full show notes and resources, visit http://gocamp.pro/ownerspodYour campers may want to come back, but the parents ultimately make that decision! Here's how to manage their expectations to help them choose your camp again and again.Parents and care-givers are the decision-makers. You can have a great program and great staff, but if you aren't assessing, managing and responding to parent expectations, you won't earn their trust, and they won't send their kids to your camp.In the day and age of the “bulldozer/lawnmower” parent, it can sometimes feel like the parents and the staff have set up an unrealistic amount of expectations that leave us almost beholden to them.However, it's important to remember that we are an industry that has always strongly believed, and continue to believe in helping people. Even if a parent's expectations can feel like a burden, it's important that we take a step back, accept their feelings as valid, and support them the best that we can.So how do we strike that balance? How do we help everyone get on the same level and get excited In our third episode of the podcast, Howie and Kelly are joined by Corey Dockswell from Camp Wicosuta and Emma Fogel who is a camp alumnus and registered social worker with The Social Work Consulting Group. Our four hosts come together to discuss how they have seen parent's expectations shift over the last few years, as well as to share best practices when it comes to responding to those expectations. Tune in to hear about:When the camp dream became real for Corey and EmmaHow to manage parent's expectations when it comes to their wanting of “control” or ensuring that their kids are always happyCommunicating the benefits of the things at camp that comes with a bit of “positive stress” or “healthy risk”Ways to help staff understand parent's expectations to set them up for successSome practical tips on systems and boundaries to establish within your communication systems-What Inspires You?Howie: The Summer Camp community rallying around each other in the uncertain times that we are in.Kelly: Happy Campers - by Audrey Monke - https://amzn.to/33nVGkzCorey: An awesome quote from a camp parent - “We control ship and sail, but never wind and wave…. While we are in unsettling times, we will get through the storm.”Emma: You are Awesome - by Neil Pasricha - https://amzn.to/2x5TMsu -HOST LINKS:Hosts: Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines RanchGuests:Corey Dockswell, Director, Camp WicosutaEmma Fogel, Registered Social Worker, The Social Work Consulting Group, Mindcalm.caThanks to our sponsor - CampBrain!CampBrain is a robust camp tool designed not only to manage summer camps, but also manage your conference center and fundraising needs, all in one database. Since 1994 CampBrain has been innovating and constantly adding new features. Look for the Camp Store Module being released this spring. For more information visit them at http://campbrain.com.

Camp director Audrey Monke shares a simple tip for happier days Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Camp Owners - You DO deserve a work-life balance!Camp Directors work HARD. Our summers are 24/7 and even in the offseason, the emotional nature of what we do often leads to us saying “yes” to more than we usually should. The late-night parent phone calls, the desire to answer every email right away or any number of things can tear our focus away from our lives outside of the camp world. Family, physical and mental health, friends and leisure can, and should exist as part of every Camp Owners life!In our second episode of the show, Howie and Kelly are joined by fellow camp owners Audrey Monke and Gabe Chernov to discuss what it means for a Camp Owner to find some sort of healthy work-life balance.Tune in to hear about:When the camp dream became real for Audrey and GabeWhat work/life balance looks like specifically for our hosts and guestsHow to create appropriate boundaries with our staff and clientsSome practical tips for how to actually create some semblance of a work/life balanceWhat did we miss? Let us know how you find a work/life balance in the comments!-What Inspires You? - Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.Howie: Radical Candor - https://amzn.to/37irWWy Kelly: Brene Brown Date to Lead - https://amzn.to/2tNrmSW Gabe: Thinking Fast and Slow - https://amzn.to/2Sxf3CC Audrey: The Infinite Game - https://amzn.to/3brZjcJ -Host Links:Hosts: Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines RanchGuests:Gabe Chernov, Owner/Director, BirchTrail CampAudrey Monke, Chief Visionary Officer, Gold Arrow Camp  & Sunshine Parenting-Thanks to our sponsor - CampBrain!CampBrain is a robust camp tool designed not only to manage summer camps, but also manage your conference center and fundraising needs, all in one database. Since 1994 CampBrain has been innovating and constantly adding new features. Look for the Camp Store Module being released this spring. For more information visit them at http://campbrain.com.-What is the Camp Owners Podcast?We're here to explore a side of the summer camp world that is experienced by those that have the privilege of running an independent program.Howie Grossinger and Kelly Schuna will be joined by some seasoned prime camp professionals to dive deep into the issues that most private camp pros will need to face, and the best practices that they use to create, and sustain a summer camp for their campers to enjoy summer after summer.Thanks for tuning in! If you have any feedback, please get in touch with our producer, Matt at matt@gocamp.pro.

Becoming a Grateful Family (0:00:00) For the parents out there, how happy do you feel when you hear your kids sincerely tell you “thank you”? We hear the word “grateful” quite a bit around the Thanksgiving season as we come together to give thanks for what we have. Gratitude naturally makes us cheerful and reflective - it's the reason why November feels so special to many. But how can we keep that spirit of gratitude in our homes at all times? We are talking about how we can cultivate feelings of gratitude within our own families with keynote speaker and former camp counselor Audrey Monke. Native American History (0:15:20) Have you ever wondered how the people lived at the time of the first Thanksgiving? We've all heard the stories of pilgrims and Native Americans, but how much do we really know? With us is Jeff Not Help Him, a speaker from the Oglala Sioux tribe of the Lakota people. He's going to teach us about what life is and was like for our Native neighbors.  Traeger Turkeys (0:35:59) Now keep in mind that I am all for stuffing and pecan pie when I say this, but do you ever find yourself yearning for something unique to eat on Thanksgiving? Something different than the same five dishes we've had every year of our lives? Me too! Lucky for us, we live in a world of innovative people who find ways to make classic meals a little more exciting. One of these people is Amanda Haas, a cook, cookbook author and recipe developer from Traeger Grills, and she's here with us to share how we can switch up our Thanksgiving meal by cooking almost all of it on the grill. Thanksgiving Story (0:50:37) Sam Payne, host of The Apple Seed, shares a special Thanksgiving Story. Being Addicted to Saying Yes (1:05:26) Stress. You feel it in your shoulders, your neck, your brain is on fire with it, and you can't run away. Every time you go to work, think about work, or even say the word “work,” the stress returns, but if you want to be successful, you have to keep taking on more, right? Wrong. Dr. Ivan Misner, a PH.D. in Organizational Behavior says, “The reality is, the more you say ‘yes' to things that don't excite you, the less you will accomplish and the more burned out and unhappy you will become.” So how can we say no while still being successful and not looking like a jerk? We've invited Dr. Misner onto the show to tell us how.  Black Friday (1:26:33) Black Friday is almost here so it's time to start circling ads and screenshotting coupons! With the majority of stores offering their biggest discounts of the year, shopping during Black Friday can be stressful and overwhelming. If you really want to get the best deals, you have to shop smarter than ever. Kristin McGrath is the editor and shopping expert for BlackFriday.com. She's with us to share all the Black Friday tips that we need to know this year!

Audrey Monke shares ways to be a grateful family, Jeff Not Help Him talks about Native American history, Amanda Haas teaches us how to grill a turkey, Sam Payne shares a special Thanksgiving story, Dr. Ivan Misner tells us about the power of saying no, Kristin McGrath shares tips for shopping on Black Friday.

Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers, shares the wealth of knowledge she’s gained from mentoring kids and camp counselors for the past 30 years. It’s incredible just how many tricks from counseling campers can be applied in the home!

A Day Camp Pod Interview with Audrey Monke Sometimes, when comes to selling our camp, we shoot ourselves in the foot. We're just a little bit too humble. We either don't want to be too “pushy” or aggressive and we end up undervaluing what we do.Hello!? We change lives! We give kids the type of community experience that they don't get ANYWHERE ELSE. You are great, we are great and we need to get those 80% of kids who don't go to camp, to camp!You should be shouting it from a milk-crate on the street corner. Except this is 2019 and there are many virtual street corners that you need to be on.To help you find, and speak from your milk-crate, The Day Camp Pod is joined by Chief Visionary Officer and Gold Arrow Camp, Author, Blogger, Brand Manager and mom, Audrey Monke.Audrey Monke is the brains behind Sunshine Parenting and the author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets from Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. She joins Andy, Sam and Ehren to talk about:Audrey's camp origin storyHow Audrey used her love of summer camp and entrepreneurial spirit to create Sunshine ParentingHow to use email newsletters, podcasting and blogging to become your community's expert on children and youthHow to capture the attention of your key decision makers: ParentsAnd more!Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to daycampquestions@gocamp.proDAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK!Andy: Teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to your campers, as young at 5 years old!Sam: Cheese Ball Relay (see pictures below)Ehren: PlaymeoAudrey: 5 Things Game & Home-made question ball - All you need is a marker, questions, and a beach ball!YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project

Liz and Sarah give an update on a listener suggestion that they coordinate their meeting outfits. They did it! And it was surprisingly easy. Their new vow? Try a personal shopper together. Then they discuss how to be — and create — happy campers at work with parenting expert Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Audrey owns Gold Arrow Camp, and her tips for developing a positive culture at camp are just as relevant to the workplace. Some advice? Take a moment to say good morning. And build in time for compliments! This week’s Hollywood Hack: arrive early. Nordstrom stylist:https://shop.nordstrom.com/c/personal-stylists Happy Campershttps://www.amazon.com/Happy-Campers-Secrets-Raising-Thriving/dp/1546081798/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31953NQYNKAUF&keywords=happy+campers+audrey+monke&qid=1568760000&sprefix=Happy+Campers+audrey%2Caps%2C543&sr=8-1 Audrey Monke:https://sunshine-parenting.com/ Tony Dodds:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3386150/

In EPISODE 15, Rob and Wayne talk with parenting expert, Audrey Monke.  They discuss her important new book, “Happy Campers”, which reveals nine powerful techniques that parents can use to help their children grow and thrive.  

Camp director Audrey Monke talks about her book Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, as well as how we can set our kids up for successful summer camp experiences. For more info, visit: www.tiltparenting.com/session162

This episode is all about camp! Laura and Sarah chat about their camp experiences and plans for their children. Guest Audrey Monke is the author of the book Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets For Raising Kids Who Will Become Thriving Adults -- out on the same day as this episode's initial release. Audrey is also a camp co-director and mother of 5. In the Q&A, we answer a physician's question about call and a possible job change out of academic medicine.

Working with thousands of campers and families, you start to pick up a few ideas that lead to successful, thriving people. Audrey Monke, the director of Gold Arrow Camp and brains behind Sunshine Parenting, has done more than just collect the good ideas. She’s made them available to everyone in her new book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults.

A conversation with Audrey Monke is always welcome, even more so when she's written a book that can fix so many of the worries we confront on a daily basis. Which this one totally is! If you're worried about:  – How to keep your kids close while giving them their independence  – If they'll ever make friends, and what might happen to them if they don't  – How in heck they will develop the skills necessary to make it in this world You are going to LOVE our conversation! Also: included in this episode is the first installment of Parenting News, a segment highlighting one news item that seems worthy of your attention. Today's is all about young boys and Fortnite, and if you should be concerned about video-game addiction. Got some news that you want me to bring up in a future Parenting News? Click here and let me know! Go to weturnedoutokay.com/273 for: A cheat sheet of ideas from our conversation Links, including a special one to Audrey's book, Happy Campers The video of the week: "How to help your child make a friend" And thank you so much for listening! Live Q&A and Open House Tour Ever wished you could check out the private coaching community that I run for parents of young children? Do you have questions about if it could work for you, even in your busy, insane life and with whatever technical skills you possess (especially if you feel like they're not very good)? You're in luck! On Thursday, April 25 I am throwing open the doors to the Ninja Parenting Community! I'm taking you right inside, and showing you: – What our members love about it – How the community helps parents turn family time into "the best time of the day" – And I'm taking questions too! It's free… I'm so excited to bring you in and show you around! It's live… But even if you can't be there live, signing up gets you the replay so you can rewatch as many times as you like. It's where my heart and soul is… because I get to work closely with so many amazing parents. Don't miss out on discovering this secret to happy parenting… Click weturnedoutokay.com/tour to sign up!

Ever wonder why your child comes home from summer camp a little more mature, confident, and independent? Today we welcome into the studio Audrey "Sunshine" Monke, veteran camp director and author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Tune in to hear Audrey share all about the crucial role that summer camp plays in child development, and some great tips to make this "magic" continue at home. 

Today we welcome back one of our favorite guests, Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Audrey has 34 years of experience as a camp director at Gold Arrow Camp in California, as well as raising 5 kids of her own, and she came by book writing after years of running her own parenting blog at sunshine-parenting.com.Audrey discusses her writing process with us, the joys of working with a book coach, and her multi-pronged approach to marketing (including an AWESOME read-along book club on her Facebook page, scheduled for this summer!). We discuss the pros and cons (aka the good and evil) of social media, especially for writers, and how to deal with professional jealousy when everyone's success is in your face 24-7. (We're so happy for everyone! We are! We just WANT TO BE YOU, TOO). Audrey points out that everyone's in a different spot in their writing careers, and we're all on this journey together and we need to support each other any way that we can.We explore how writing about your kids comes with a different set of rules in the age of social media. Audrey shares her secrets for raising happy, resilient kids in Happy Campers along with a hefty dose of camp wisdom, and talks about how parents can keep the lessons from camp applicable to their families year-round.And shoutout to KJ Dell-Antonia and Jess Lahey from #AmWriting, who make another Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-esque appearance on the podcast, and who are inspiring Audrey to dream of writing fiction after years of believing she's solely a nonfiction writer."Now I have in the back of my mind I have this dream of writing fiction at some point. We should use these things - when you feel that twinge of "wow, they're doing it" you need to say to yourself, "hey, maybe I can do that, too." - Audrey MonkeAbby gets to pick Audrey's brain about camp activities because Abby's the CAMP DIRECTOR for our Find Your Book/Find Your Mojo retreat this fall in Maine (in Acadia National Park)! Audrey says that despite the nervousness newbies have to fight off, they really need to get to know each other the first day and she's got some tried and true methods from years in the first-day trenches at camp. So no worries, attendees, we've got you!Congratulations, Audrey! Happy Campers comes out May 7 - just in time for summer break. Pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, IndieBound or Kobo.

Interview with Audrey Monke

The dog days of summer are here! And without school to occupy them (and tire them out) during the day, kids may need new activities to last all summer long to keep them busy. Tune in to find out things you whole family can do together to enjoy the sunshine and make the most of this summer. Special Guest: Audrey Monke Hosts: Dr. Alicia La Hoz, Omar Ramos, Veronica Avila

This week on #RaisingAthletes, Audrey Monke, the Director of Gold Arrow Camp, Mother of five and speaker and writer of Sunshine-Parenting.com, spoke with Kirsten about the importance of giving your athlete some time away from their sport and the other benefits of sleep away camp, like making real lasting connections (without any devices), having some alone time and facing fears that they don't get a chance to work through in their every day lives!

To us grown-ups, summer can mean headaches caused by heat and humidity, too much time spent in air-conditioning, and unwelcome changes in routine. Also, the endless application of sunscreen on our littles. But to kids, just being outside can be a revelation. There's birdsong, and water, and dirt… Summer is a great time for reconnecting with your child, for truly listening to him or her - for deep, true bonding with this little person you are bringing up. Does that seem daunting? If you're not sure how to begin, listen to this episode of We Turned Out Okay! Today, I am excited to interview Sunshine Parenting podcast host Audrey Monke, who has directed a summer camp for more than 30 years. In that time Audrey has seen it all: extreme homesickness, parental worries, and, again and again, the life-changing magic of summertime. We tap into her knowledge of how to make summer great, as Audrey shares THE 3 most important things you can do this summer to capture that magic, to truly enjoy the time you spend with your young child. For TONS of amazing links that come up in today's conversation, as well as to join our We Turned Out Okay private Facebook group (I've got a big announcement in today's episode about something new happening in the group!)… Go to weturnedoutokay.com/224. Thanks for listening!

"It's better to give than to receive" is more than an inspiring quote. It's a truth that can add value and happiness to your life and that of your children. Tune in for tips and insights on how to inspire generosity. Guest Speaker: Audrey Monke, Sunshine Parenting Resident Expert: Dr. Alicia La Hoz Host: Veronica Avila