The Importance of Downtime

July 12, 2012

The Importance of Downtime

We get asked this question multiple times, why do you drive around so much in your programs? Isn't that a waste of the day? We don't think so, and this picture is a prime example of why.....our campers work hard while they are at camp. They get sweaty, tired, grumpy, their engines get high due to the tough social interactions, and we tend to go-go-go. The transition time in the vans gives everyone a chance to calm their bodies and emotions down. They re-charge by reading, playing with small toys, singing to the kid's CD's, talking with their neighbor (kids and staff), or even taking a nap. This ensures their little bodies are ready to go for the next activity, and we find that they are much more open to being challenged and trying new things after they have had time to re-charge in the vans.

Water guns and Social etiquette

July 11, 2012

We have so enjoyed our water guns, that have mostly been donated by parents. Even during “adult swim” where the kids have to sit out for a few minutes, the water guns are a great tool for engaging and interacting in play. For children who find it hard to ask a friend to play with them or try to get a counselor’s attention, these water guns give them an easy avenue to try. Our staff are then able to use this as a tool for appropriate play. We talk to the child about how they need to ask someone first, “do you want me to squirt you” or “can we play together”, before shooting them. Or, if they do squirt someone and they get mad, we are able to support them in that interaction of explaining why they squirted them, and help them to see the more appropriate “water gun etiquette” in their next interaction. If someone says no, than we are also able to support the camper in this feeling of disappointment. This is a prime example of how our campers learn appropriate social interaction techniques, organically, in everyday situations that they can then use in future interactions with friends and family.

Job Well Done

July 10, 2012

This camper is so excited to have his face painted and is incredibly proud to have received his medal. These are handed out as a “job well done” to our campers for all of their hard work. All of the children experience a lot of fun each week, but they also have to work through many tough “social situations”, which should definitely be rewarded! They work on conflict resolution, how to be a good team member, how to respond to disappointment, and how to communicate tough feelings such as anger or jealousy.

Job well done to all of our campers each week!

What to expect at Summer Camp

The Learning on the Log newsletter: "the LOTL Letter", edition 1
Read all about our first week of camp and how you can help us, as we provide the social support necessary for children to succeed!

Pictures from our first two days of camp......

Why we are different

What sets us apart from other similar programs? Here is a little description of:

Why we are different

Learning on the Log provides recreational programs such as hiking, swimming, gymnastics, team sports, team building games, and boating....in natural settings that help foster development and social/relationship skills.  Unlike other social skills programs where the children meet in a therapists office, our children develop social skills, in natural situations such as hiking together on a trail, playing games in a pool, navigating a playground, or testing their skills on a sports field. 

Through the development of friendships with our staff and other children, each child encounters scenarios that will have a greater meaning to them personally, therefore motivating them to try again.  Lessons learned during meaningful interactions, have a greater chance of generalizing to other social situations, such as with their parents, siblings, and with teachers and peers at school. 

We believe that social skills and strategies are learned through spontaneous and organic situations. Our staff work very hard to nurture and support any conflicts that arise naturally when you put a group of kids together. Such as: misunderstandings, winning, losing, or dealing with challenging feelings.  Our activities are temporarily stopped or the children involved are taken aside, when a conflict arises, in order to process these social breakdowns. 


We support them in understanding what actually happened versus what they perceived to happen, and we help them work through how they feel about that and resolve the conflict. The activity is then continued, or the child re-joins after having talked through the incident.  This emphasis of processing, charged social-emotional episodes, sets Learning on the Log apart from other recreational programs who only emphasizes a sensory experience.  Any social growth there is incidental.


Throughout the year we offer: 

• Morning Pre-school program
• Summer camp
• School year afternoon programming
• family outings to the Atlanta Braves games

Coming soon:

• Sibling support groups
• Parent support groups
• Parent council
• Family gatherings such as: fall festival, cook outs, round table discussions, etc.

You can remain updated of all that is going on by following us: 

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Blogspot

How can you help? 

• Host a fund raising or awareness dinner featuring Learning on the Log
• Talk to us about fund raising ideas and how you can get involved
• Tell your friends about us; ask them to follow us on different social media links
• Purchase equipment from our Amazon Wishlist
• Become a sponsor, and advertise on our apparel and social media sites
• Donate through PayPal, on our website
• Tell your friends to sign their child up for our program
• Let us know of any unique skills you might be able to share with our children 

Thank you for visiting our blog, we hope to hear from you soon! 

Katie and Armann

LISTEN

Below is a poem we felt was appropriate to share and reflect on in during the process of better supporting and understanding the kids we interact with.  

(Author is anonymous)

When I ask you to listen to me

and you start giving advice, 

you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way,

you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem,

you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen! All I asked, was that you listen.

not to talk or do - just hear me.

When you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, 

no mater how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you 

and get about the business of understanding

what's behind this feeling.

And when that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice.

Feelings make sense when we understand what's behind them.

So, please, listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, 

wait a minute for your turn and I'll listen to you. 

Employment and Emotional Intelligence

This can be found in the "By the Numbers" section of November 2011 edition of Counseling Today:

Emotional intelligence is a general assessment of a person's abilities to control emotions; to sense, understand and react to otherss' emotions; and to manage relationships.  With the post-recession economy forcing many companies to operate with smaller staffs and higher stress levels, these intangible qualities appear to be gaining favor with employers.

Between May 19 and June 8, Harris Interactive conducted an online survay of CareerBuilder of 2662 nongovernmental hiring managers and human resource professionals in the United States.  Among the findings the survey revealed:

• 34% of hiring managers said they are placing greater emphasis on emotional intelligence when hiring and promoting on employees post-recession
• 71% said they value emotional intelligence in an employee more than the employee IQ
• 59% of employers said they would not hire someone who possesses a high IQ but a low emotional intelligence
• 75% of employers are more likely to promote workers with high emotional intelligence over candidates with high IQ's

When asked why emotional intelligence is more important than high IQ, employers said employees with high emotional intelligence:

• Are more likely to stay calm under pressure
• Know how to resolve conflict effectively
• Are empathetic to their team members and react accordingly
• Lead by example
• Tend to make more thoughtful business decisions