Throwing in the towel - saying "come get your kid"

Scott Arizala, The Camp Counselor

Dan Weir, Frost Valley YMCA

Throwing in the towel

Saying “come get your kid”

www.TheCampCounselor.com

www.TheCampCounselor.com

Find the entire presentation at

http://www.danlovescamp.com/

by 10am tomorrow

Teaching,

Mastery

& Finals

Teaching:

Defining the

Problem

Teaching

Why do we need

to do this session?

Old way VS New Way

Teaching

• Formulaic

• Three steps– Give the parents the

heads up about the behaviors

– Give the kid consequences

– Asked the child to leave

• Parents were on our side

• Case by case

• Many steps

• Parents are not

on our side

Teaching

Old way VS New Way

• “Good Job”

• Take it personally

• Embarrassed easily

• Hates struggle

• Always connected

Parents!

Teaching

Mastery:

How to take on

the problem

Step #1

Prep

Get all the facts

Mastery- #1 Prep

Get all the facts

Mastery- #1 Prep

What happened?

Get all the facts

Mastery- #1 Prep

What did we do to help the child?

Get all the facts

Mastery- #1 Prep

Why is does the child need to go

home?

Make a plan

Mastery- #1 Prep

Make a plan

Mastery- #1 Prep

What needs to happen next?

Make a plan

Mastery- #1 Prep

When are they going home?

Make a plan

Mastery- #1 Prep

How are they going home?

Make a plan

Mastery- #1 Prep

•What is next

•When they are leaving

•How are they leaving

Prepare answers

to probable

questions

Mastery- #1 Prep

Prepare answers

to probable

questions

Mastery- #1 Prep

Refunds

Prepare answers

to probable

questions

Mastery- #1 Prep

Insufficient staff supervision

Prepare answers

to probable

questions

Mastery- #1 Prep

Inability to get to camp in a timely

way

Prepare answers

to probable

questions

Mastery- #1 Prep

Can my child come back?

Step #2

Making the call

Thinking about

your environment

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Never do the

phone call alone

Mastery- #2 Making the call

The conversation•Your opener

•What happened

•What we did

•What needs to happen next

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Time to shut up

and listen

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Time to shut up

and listen

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Respectfully listen, acknowledge

feelings w/o wavering from plan

It’s worth

your time.

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Mastery- #2 Making the call

The more you listen now,

the less you will deal with later

Mastery- #2 Making the call

The parent just

wants to be

heard

• “Good Job”

• Take it personally

• Embarrassed easily

• Hates struggle

• Always connected

Parents!

Teaching

Mastery- #2 Making the call

Your mantra is

“Less is more”

Step #3

After the call

Document

everything

Mastery- #3 After the call

Document

everything

Times and dates

Mastery- #3 After the call

Document

everything

Demeanor of the parents and kids

Mastery- #3 After the call

Prep for face to

face

Mastery- #3 After the call

Prepare the

camper

Mastery- #3 After the call

Offer debriefs for

those who need

them

Mastery- #3 After the call

Follow up with the

family

Mastery- #3 After the call

Follow up with the

family

Asking “how their family has been”

Mastery- #3 After the call

Finals:

Conquering the

problem

Meet

Alejandro

Finals

• Alejandro has been coming to camp for years

• This summer isn’t going well

• He doesn’t like the kids in his cabin but likes his counselors

• It’s midway through the session

• He has been talked to by the two counselors, unit leader,

Assistant Director and you

• Alejandro has even spoke to his mom and promised her

that this would change

• You told mom that if it continued that he would need to go

home

• So far mom has been good – wants her son to change his

behavior and asked you to really keep an eye on the cabin

dynamic

The scenario is a 14 year old boy is

being defiant

Finals

Wrapping Up

It was

emotionally

traumatic

Find the entire presentation at

http://www.danlovescamp.com/

by 10am tomorrow