June 3, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

10 Things to mail your child at Summer Camp

My kids LOVE #1 and #8. Crazy Things to mail your child at Sleep Away Camp | the House of Hendrix #campcarepackages This afternoon I put my daughter on a plane to sleep away camp. It was the first time she has flown by herself. Two months ago when we made the plane reservations, it sounded like a cost-effective way to get her there. She would read a book and two hours later be there. She was fine with it.

Sensing a bit of anxiety in her this morning, we intentionally laughed our way through the airport.

After pizza and ice cream, they called her to pre-board. They told me to say my goodbyes because I was not allowed on the boardwalk. In an instant my heart sank. It felt as if they were taking her through the double doors into surgery. I did the worst thing a parent could do in that situation. My eyes filled with tears, drawing instant insecurity across her face.

I watched as they shuffled her down the boardwalk until she turned the corner. I could no longer see her long blond hair. I uncharacteristically freaked.

They had not begun boarding the rest of the plane when I asked, “May I please meet the flight attendant assigned to her?” “No ma’am. He is not allowed to get off the plane.” I explained I

Honest post on letting your child fly alone.

would just like to lock eyes with the person I have entrusted my daughter to, a gesture I hoped would evoke an element of accountability for my 11-year-old. The ticket clerks launched into a lengthy protocol of airline policy regarding unaccompanied minors.

As they insisted the man who signed off to watch this child had 20 years of experience, my tears resurfaced as I meekly said, “But this isn’t just SOME child…this is MY child.” They froze as I peered out the window towards the plane which eventually departed. “She’s not just a child! She is MY child.”

There it is. My love for Lily demanded more than just standard protocol for her life. I wanted a higher standard over her…to protect her, comfort her, and keep her from harm. Isn’t that how God feels about us? We’re not just another person. We are HIS children. He wants more for us. He wants to protect us, comfort us, and keep us from harm. Then I remember our conversation after finding a great parking spot right by the airport elevator. I said in my delight, “Yay! God’s hand is all over us today”. She replied, “Totally Mom. He’s massaging us with His goodness.” With that I remembered, she was going to be just fine.

10 crazy things to send your child at SLEEP AWAY CAMP

(affiliate links have been provided)

A LETTER FROM YOUR PET-The big worry in sending a letter to camp is not wanting to make them miss home. Last year our letters were all sent from our hamster, Pumpkin Muffin. We gave my daughter an update but it was from his perspective. She loved it and read the letters to the girls in her barn. This year her bunny is writing them.
A BOX FILLED WITH WIGS, TUTUS, and one of these CRAZY HATS- Camps usually have several costume parties and everybody loves a ridiculous wig or pair of crazy glasses.
MAD LIBS
NFL Playing Cards – Does your child have a favorite sports team? Order playing cards with that team.
NIGHTTIME FUN KIT- Glow in the dark body paint, bracelets, and shoe laces
Crazy Creek Chair – This is the ultimate cool chair at camp. From sitting around the camp fire to the gatherings at night, this chair goes everywhere.
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS -Here is a book list for middle schoolers. For younger kids here are cute books all about camp.Click image for full list.
BOOK LIGHT – Every reader needs a light for quiet time especially in a room with a dozen other kids.
PRE WRAP!!!- my daughter’s favorite!! We make headbands, bracelets, and all sorts of fun creations with this gauzey, lightweight material.Our camp doesn’t allow duck tape for obvious reasons, but pre wrap is fabulous!
Insanely Cool Spheres – These balls start out small but expand in 2 seconds to enormous spheres. The glow-in-the-dark factor even makes them cooler. We learned about these at the Science Center.
QUIET TIME KIT – deck of cards. a book with a book light, friendship bracelet kit
STATIONERY –pre-addressed and stamped envelopes with colored pencils and stickers…but do something funny on the paper. Start the letter for them in a humorous way like, “Dear Mom and Dad, I haven’t brushed my teeth or taken a shower since I got here” or something your child would find funny.
COLORED ZINC – Worry about them not wearing sunscreen? Throw in some colored zinc and they are sure to decorate their faces in all sorts of ridiculous fashion.
TEMPORARY HAND TATTOOS – great to share with lots of kids too. Can’t you imagine a cabin of boys and a “Shark Attack” with these?

SOUVENIR TO DECORATE– a pillow case, white towel, or plain white t-shirt with fabric markers so everybody can sign. You could even send a t-shirt for each child in the cabin.

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May 30, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless

My family needs a lot of practice when it comes to serving others. It is something we each love to do but it often times does not come naturally. So over the summer we look for intentional ways to have fun while helping others in our community. One of our favorite ways to do this is by gleaning fields for the homeless.

If you recall the Old Testament story of Ruth and Boaz you may be familiar with gleaning. The wealthy Boaz felt compassion for a widow named Ruth and allowed her to glean his fields after they had been harvested. This generosity still exists today.

There is a national organization called Society of St. Andrew (www.EndHunger.org) from which people of all faiths, civil organizations, and groups volunteer to help alleviate hunger through gleaning the fields of America. There are roughly 40 million Americans hungry and the USDA estimates that around 25% of American crops are never made available for people to eat. Much of that uneaten food is left in the fields after harvest.

Farms across America have been offering up these leftover crops for volunteer gleaners to come and pick. The crops are then given to the homeless and hungry. Our family has gleaned corn and citrus but today was all about blueberries!!! Gleaning blueberries for the Homeless

We rolled out of bed and had an impromptu desire to go gleaning. You can sign up here for an email listing of local gleaning opportunities in your area. There was a 2 day blueberry project about 30 minutes away with our name on it.

We picked, ate, and compared buckets.

(and yes, Palmer currently wears this hat at ALL times…and Campbell is in Year 4 of wearing his shirts backwards. Love it.)

Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

We sprinkled each bucket with love, then dumped them into the sorter.

We removed the green and mushy blueberries and then filled ziplock baggies. Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

At the farm today, our team of 20 gleaners picked 220 pounds of blueberries. Hurray! Gleaning Blueberries for the Homeless - a fun way to serve with your kids this summer {the House of Hendrix}

This is a fabulous opportunity for children to help others in their community that is so much fun! The website again is www.EndHunger.org

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May 30, 2013 by Allison Hendrix

The Interrupt Rule

The situation is all too familiar. Two adults are talking and a child needs to tell their mother something.

“Mom! Mom! ” the child says as their mother is mid-sentence with her friend. 5 minutes later it happens again. “Excuse me, Mom?”

Even with polite words, the parent is being interrupted. It can be hard to focus on either conversation AND be an effective listener when your thoughts are continuously interrupted.

There is a great opportunity here for a child to show respect and honor to their elders by properly knowing how to interrupt a conversation.

Several years ago I took a parenting class called Growing Kids God’s Way which taught a solution I have recently reintroduced to my children. It’s called The Interrupt Rule.

Here’s how it works: When two adults are talking and a child needs to interrupt, they simply put their hand on their parents arm or shoulder. The child waits patiently without speaking.

By maintaining contact, the parent knows the child has a need. The parent can touch their child’s hand to acknowledge its presence.

The parent can continue in their conversation until there is a natural pause or good moment to address the child. ” Thank you for waiting Palmer, what can I help you with?” The child’s needs have been met and were addressed with undivided attention at a moment determined by the parent.

The Interrupt Rule - How your child can show respect and honor to their elders through a simple rule.

I also have been known to hide in my closet when talking on the phone to avoid being interrupted; so I have implemented the Interrupt Rule when I am on the phone. My children don’t wait forever, but this gives me a few moments to finish up my conversation before shifting gears.

In addition to the obvious lesson in patience, the Interrupt Rule teaches children to honor and respect their elders and the conversations amongst them.

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