Hudson Valley Parent

HVP - April 2014

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20 Hudson Valley Parent n April 2014 or send a friend along for an away camp. It's important that their first camp experience be a good one. If you find it wasn't a perfect fit, try a different one next year. But don't give up on the beauty and benefits of camp for elementary-age children. Age 12-15 Tweens and teens have better focus than younger children and benefit from camps that more closely match their interests and person- alities. Sports and music camps are great for this age and help kids advance athletic skills and enhance musical talent. Academic camps of- fer youth advanced-learning oppor- tunities in subjects they might want to explore for long-term focus. And church camps offer character-build- ing and self-awareness experiences not learned in school. Camps provide a safe place for teens and tweens to hang out while parents work during summer break. Not yet able to drive or find a summer job, kids this age too often allow technology to rule or walk into unsupervised trouble unless par- ents intentionally seek out creative options. Junior high and high schools provide information for local camps worth investigating as the school year draws to a close. It's also easy to scour the internet for camps that match your child's interests. Some camps provide certification such as lifeguard training or first aid certifi- cation that can enable your youth to successfully find a job upon comple- tion. Encourage your youth to research camps with you to find one that fits. When kids attend camp, they develop resilience and flexibility that benefits them later in life. An article by Steve Baskin in Psychology Today, entitled "Creating Advantage in College," parallels the experi- ences of summer camp and the adjustment of college. He cites that kids work through similar adjust- ments at camp and college such as, "Being away from home and your traditional support system (family, friends, familiar places), and dealing with large amounts of uncertainty (what will classes require, how will I fit in socially, can I deal with this new roommate)." Baskin proposes that kids who find success working through these challenges at camp adjust easier when presented with the transition to college. Summer camp offers unique experiences and character-building opportunities for every child. Wheth- er your child is 2 or 15, camp is the perfect place to find adventure and make lifelong memories in the pro- cess. Don't delay — find a camp your child will enjoy today! Gayla Grace, freelance writer and mom to five, has sent her kids to camp every summer. SUMMER CAMP (Continued from Page 19) Share and share alike Feeding our families the CSA way By DAWN GREEN A $500 or higher grocery bill might make most bud- get-conscious shoppers feel faint. Paying that amount up front, sometimes months before seeing a single item of food, may in fact seem downright horrific. However, for a growing number of Hudson Valley families, this is actually an ideal way to procure the freshest foods grown by local farm- ers, and to ensure a farm-to-table experience for an entire season. These are the families who pur- chase community supported agricul- ture shares directly from farms. It works like this: farmers sell a predetermined number of shares before the growing season begins. Each week of the growing season, those who purchased a share receive a portion of what was grown on the farm. This amounts to several pounds of fresh, local produce guar- anteed each week. Good for farmers Selling produce this way is beneficial to the farmers, since they are paid up front and do not have A CSA box from Kelder's Farm in Kerhonkson. Kelder's Farm offers special incentives for families, including a free season's pass to their jumping pillow for shareholders.

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