Camp Helps Kids Unplug from Media, Mom and Dad

Camp Helps Kids Unplug from Media, Mom and Dad: "I saw a “tween” recently in my therapy practice that I suspected might have some food issues. When I began asking gingerly about her eating habits she whipped out her cell phone to text her mother: “What do I usually eat for breakfast?” After a minute of messaging she turned her attention back to me to report the results of her inquiry.

Now, I’m sure this young girl could have answered my questions without electronically soliciting help from her mom. Yet her reflexive texting habit made stopping to think for herself entirely avoidable – and regrettably so, because stopping to think is often when important insights occur. That’s why I leave a lot of space in therapy sessions for thought and contemplation on the part of the children I see.

Unfortunately, stopping to think is a behavior less and less common among teenagers and pre-teens. We all know the reason: instant Internet communication plays an increasingly dominant role in the lives of ever-younger children" ... (Click on title link above to read the entire expert article on how sending your kids to camp might just improve their thinking and problem solving skills.) ...