One of our favorite child development resources is the website Sunshine Parenting, which is hosted by Audrey Monke (who herself is a summer camp director). Audrey recently highlighted a new book by Drs. Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson entitled The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired.
As author Tina says in her interview with Audrey, “One of the best predictors for how well kids turn out is that they have a secure attachment with at least one person.” How can parents and caregivers foster that kind of secure attachment? Simply by showing up and being present with their children.
Audrey puts it this way: “We live in a time when there is so much distraction, disconnection, and despair. The antidote is being present with each other and really focusing on connection.”
One of the unique joys of camp is the opportunity to learn how to be present in the moment with others. With fewer distractions and more time devoted to simply being rather than doing, summer camp offers campers the chance to forge deep connections through the practice of being present with one another. This doesn’t just extend from camper to camper, of course. Time spent with caring adults who are committed to being present with children, even during stressful or scary or uncomfortable moments, helps kids develop that sense of secure attachment that allows them to thrive.
We love the way Audrey sums it up: “Showing up means offering a quality of presence… When kids feel safe, seen, and soothed most of the time, their brains are wired to securely know that if they’re having a hard time or in distress, someone will see it and show up for them.”
That’s the power of showing up.
If you’d like to read Audrey’s full blog post about the book or listen to her interview with Tina, visit https://sunshine-parenting.com/ep-121-the-power-of-showing-up/?ck_subscriber_id=635855088.