TEEN CAMP
om family
Concious Parenting
om family
I
have spent plenty of time considering
how to transform family conflict
into connection, and recently had a
wonderful glimpse into the different
ways of parenting and how effective- or ineffective – they can be.
I went away with a group of teenagers to
celebrate a 16th birthday. There were nine
teenagers present and three mums. The
birthday boy’s mum was inspired to make
it a weekend of outdoor adventure and
wellbeing. She chose a magnificent venue –
Drop your own baggage or agenda and meet your teens exactly
where they are. By Siri Arti
the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa.
Lush fields, mountain ranges, waterfalls and
dams surrounded our camp. Expansive blue
skies, birds and bees, friendly faces and
open spaces. Each moment of the weekend
was peppered with adventure including
strenuous hikes, communal cooking, fire pit
building and energetic music making. What
wasn’t scheduled was the mischief the great
outdoors would offer the youth. In their free
moments, they chose to play. Some good
choices were made and some bad. The badones were met with consequences but the
game continued.
I wasn’t in charge, so in true Montessori
fashion, I supported the weekend while
subtly observing the youthful antics. It was
wonderful to witness nine teenagers - half
boys, half girls – finding their way together in
a new environment. They loved the activities
and brought themselves wholeheartedly to
them. When the hike got tough, they smiled
and joked, but kept climbing higher and
higher. When we reached the waterfall, even