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Camp Wahanowin speaks about fostering healthy relationships for children

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Camp Wahanowin, located in Orillia, just North of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is designed to foster creativity and growth through a tech-free environment. Campers from all over the world are invited to connect with each other. By creating a safe environment, children can develop confidence and life-long friendships.

Avoiding social isolation

At Camp Wahanowin, children from ages six to 16 will learn to connect in a healthy relationship. Friendships play a significant role in emotional health and physical health.

Social isolation has several meanings. In addition to spending a significant amount of time alone, social isolation can also look like screen addiction. Those who spend most of their time on devices miss out on some of the nonverbal cues around them. Face-to-face interaction is especially important for children.

According to the CDC, older adults without meaningful relationships have an increased risk of dementia. Learning how to find and maintain healthy relationships starts early in life. Once these skills are learned, they can be used year after year.

What defines a healthy relationship?

By providing an “unplugged” atmosphere, Camp Wahanowin nurtures meaningful communication. Using a value system that relies on our values of growth, respect, community and tradition, Camp Wahanowin has fostered new friendships since 1955.

A healthy relationship is maintained through trust and support. Learning how to trust does not mean trusting everyone. A healthy relationship still comes with boundaries. Depending on the individual, these boundaries may vary, but knowing when something feels wrong is a key lesson in safety. Ultimately, healthy relationships are usually created by self-respect and kindness.

By learning how to comfort and motivate others, campers can reach new goals together. Support networks involve those willing to show up even when it’s difficult. An authentic friendship means one person’s joy is spread throughout the social circle Camp community.

How to help children build strong relationships

Wahanowin provides an atmosphere that is both safe and new. Learning to become independent in a community with staff and other children can open doors for new hobbies and perspectives.

Since teenagers are reported to spend an average of six hours per day online, this can heavily influence how they socialize. Disconnecting from the virtual world can raise self-esteem and allow children to reevaluate the authenticity of what’s being shared online.

Camp Wahanowin has over 40 activities for campers. Although there are designated times to relax in the cabins and most of the day is spent with other children. Many staff members grew up attending camp as children and can help those who feel out of place. The Counsellor in Training program is designed to teach future staff how to support campers to build strong and healthy  relationships and to nurture friendships.

The importance of giving back to the community will also strengthen both individual character and subsequent relationships. By focusing on appreciation and being  grateful, children and staff can be mindful about those around them and striking the balance between give and take.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are key qualities for all individuals. Teaching children how to interact with positive intent will create new connections opportunities. To master these skills, a safe and nurturing environment is needed. Once children express themselves respectfully, relationships have a healthy foundation for open communication.

At camp, children are supported by a caring and communicative staff. Transparency is a critical aspect that staff members take very seriously. Parents are made aware of each step taken to promote core values.

How can tradition help children communicate?

Traditions usually represent values. They are meaningful and mark importance in an individual’s life. Life-long traditions can be passed down from one generation to the next, forever preserving the overall value of an experience.

Honoring the past through a set of traditions is a way to accept the future. By creating or following a meaningful tradition, values are communicated through action. If words are cheap, traditions are rich with respect.

Remembering loved ones or celebrations of the past is often cathartic. This not only brings people together, but it can also connect somebody with their sense of self. Being able to communicate is the hallmark of a healthy relationship. This is true for friendship as well as romantic relationships and family.

Freedom and independence

As children mature, they gain an increasing amount of independence and freedom. While this comes with many responsibilities, parents and other family members usually help.

A camp experience gives children the ability to test the waters. They are away from their parents, and children can focus on the present without electronic devices. One of the most difficult parts of being a parent is letting kids make their own mistakes.

Saying the wrong thing or failing at a specific task is an experience every adult has had. Once the moment is over, an adult gets to choose how to respond. By learning how to manage real-life situations, children can better understand handling themselves. Without recovering from mistakes, a child can not have true confidence.

Conclusion

Strong values shape the way children grow. Children can learn how to be seen and accomplished in the right environment. To foster long-lasting friendships and healthy relationships, children must learn to interact with the world.  

Story by Ryan Gray

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