You've been looking forward to having your child home from sleepaway camp.

Then they walk through the door exhausted, disappear into their room, complain that there's nothing to do, or get annoyed the first time you remind them to put something away.

It's easy to wonder: Did they miss me? Are they happy to be home? Did camp change them in ways I don't like?

The transition from camp to home is bigger than it may appear. Your child is returning from a completely different world, and they may need time to figure out how the person they became at camp fits back into family life.

In this episode, I'm sharing three adjustments kids make after sleepaway camp and how you can give your child room to bring their growing confidence, competence, and independence home with them.

• Why a wonderful camp experience can still lead to irritability, withdrawal, or complaints when your child comes home
• How to handle the friction that can arise when newfound independence meets familiar family expectations
• The overlooked adjustment that can make returning to an old family role especially difficult
• What you can do if your child is already home and you're thinking, "I messed this up"

• Episode 256 - Raising Independent Kids
• Experience Camps
• Download my free Nervous System Reset Guide for Moms HERE.
• Book a call to talk about working with me HERE.
• Buy and leave a review for the Less Drama More Mama book HERE.
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I'm currently in Georgia for my eighth summer as a grief specialist at Experience Camps, a nonprofit that provides free, one-week camps for kids who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver.

While I'm there, I'm replaying Episode 158, "Lessons from Grief Camp," which first aired on August 17, 2021.

Even if your family isn't dealing with grief, the lessons in this episode apply to every parent. They're about what makes kids more likely to talk about their difficult emotions with you and how you can create the conditions that help them open up.

• The secret to creating more trust and connection with your kids
• Why people find it difficult to open up about their feelings and what it costs them
• Simple ways to get more in touch with your emotions and how it helps you be a better mom

• Experience Camps website
• Episode 033 – Helping Kids Manage Their Emotions
• Episode 094 – Parenting with Vulnerability
• Episode 134 – Validating Emotions
• Download my free Nervous System Reset Guide for Moms HERE.
• Book a call to talk about working with me HERE.
• Buy and leave a review for the Less Drama More Mama book HERE.
• Subscribe to get email updates on Less Drama More Mama webinars, workshops, and special offers HERE.
• Follow Less Drama More Mama on Facebook and Instagram.
• Leave a review of the show in Apple Podcasts

Your child is in a bad mood.

You offer suggestions, make a joke, or point out what's going well.

Nothing seems to help, and before long, you're in a bad mood, too.

It's easy to feel responsible for turning their mood around.

But what if supporting them doesn't require changing how they feel?

In this episode, I talk about why some kids seem moodier than others, why their moods can affect you so quickly, and how to support them without needing to cheer them up or taking their behavior personally, so their bad mood doesn't have to become yours.

• How temperament can influence what sets kids off, how they express their feelings, and how quickly they recover
• Why your child's mood can stir up uncomfortable feelings in you
• Ways to offer support without requiring your child to feel better

• Episode 191: Understanding Temperament
• Episode 414: How to Release Anger Without Taking It Out on Your Kids
• Download my free Nervous System Reset Guide for Moms HERE.
• Book a call to talk about working with me HERE.
• Buy and leave a review for the Less Drama More Mama book HERE.
• Subscribe to get email updates on Less Drama More Mama webinars, workshops, and special offers HERE.
• Follow Less Drama More Mama on Facebook and Instagram.
• Leave a review of the show in Apple Podcasts