Bed Time Strategies-Ness Lake

Bedtime

Have lights out within 10 mins of scheduled time

-We need to help kids wind down, focus their attention and be still so they can fall asleep.


What does work
-wind down time
-give them advance notice warnings to cool down
-bring down the noise level slowly
-nights lights
-leaders don’t go to bed until the whole cabin is quiet without supervision
-one leader reads story the other walks around and says good night camper
-story time is a must
Books that go longer than one night
-everyone leave the cabin together to brush teeth, everyone must try and go to the bathroom
-TELL THEM TO STAY IN BED IF THEY WAKE-UP EARLY
Not to talk to anyone
-GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT

What does not work
-Yelling at a kid is never appropriate-intimidation
-being mean just makes kids homesick
-deal with talkative kids one on one
Belittling kid by loud talking them infront of the other kids
-just shutting the lights off
-lying in your bunk
-not being in the cabin
-scary stories
-endless jokes
-some music-What kind would that be?
-don’t send a kid off alone to “Walk off energy” MUST GO WITH THEM
-can’t threaten things -no dessert, tuck etc MAKES IT GAME
-Shut-up is not a word at camp…rude


Watch out for
-your own patience level…it’s the end of the day
-chatter
-flashlites-CAN TAKE THEM AWAY, make sure the camper knows where they are so they can go back and get them.
-fake snorer
-sleep walker
-bed wetter
-crier
-rude jokes
-fart sounds
-thirsty kid
-roaming kid, never makes it back to cabin on time