Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder

Aug 22

Simone Biles, Jojo Siwa, Megan Markle, Selena Gomez, Lebron James, and Tony Hawk might be familiar names to you, and that's most likely because you hear these names while talking to our youth! Lebron James; a renowned basketball star, Simone Biles; a shining example of prioritizing mental health, Jojo Siwa; a young entrepreneur, entertainer, and talented dancer, Megan Markle; a history-leading woman of color in royalty, Tony Hawk; a die-hard skateboard fanatic, and Selena Gomez; a singer and actress who uses her platform to spread body-positivity. These are some of the many positive role models this generation has to celebrate and resemble.

While these positive role models have their glamorous lifestyles and extensive platforms of power and popularity, we must not forget our children's closest and most important role models of all! These role models are people who have a substantial amount of contact with our youth, whether it be a youth counselor, teacher, parent or guardian, or other trusted adult. These are the individuals who will influence our children the most, regardless of who they adore on the screen.

Young children often have plenty of love and admiration for the adults in their lives, which is prevalent in the TaleTree youth's artwork. Rayim, a wonderful soul from camp Singapore, was kind enough to show this admiration by creating a beautiful drawing of an adult she admires.

Rayim's creation depicted a tall and elegantly dressed woman on an elevated platform. Her hair was long and decorated, and her dress was bright and eccentric. It was so beautiful, the camp captains had thought Rayim had drawn a supermodel or princess, but the image was actually a drawing of TaleTree's founder and CEO, Sumi Lim. Sumi spends her time visiting and interacting with the kids at every online camp, so it is not surprising that Rayim thinks highly of her.

Because we know that children look to adults for leadership and guidance, we must make sure that we are healthy influencers in their lives. For example, if a trusted adult promotes healthy eating, self-care, and positive thinking, the child is more likely to adapt to those behaviors. Unfortunately, the same applies to negative behaviors.

Aside from succeeding in academics, partaking in extracurricular activities, and extending their creative abilities, we are impressed to see how children adapt to self-regulation and becoming organized workers. Seah, a young girl from camp Oslo, created her own bedtime routine chart that reminds her of every task she should complete to prepare for a good night's rest. Some of these tasks include bathing, giving caretakers a hug and kiss, and practicing dental hygiene. Undoubtedly, Seah was given direction as to when and why she should make this a routine. However, she was able to develop a tool to help her complete this routine every night, which is extremely important for her success.

To be healthy role models for our youth, we mustn't underestimate the power of our influences. As adults, we must make sure that we model self-care by exhibiting healthy habits in our daily lives. Self-care may look like practicing healthy emotional regulation and providing a healthy diet. As long as the child's role models are fit and trusting individuals, the child is more likely to display positive influence.

"Exemplary role models believe in the power of good — not what’s good for them but rather, what’s good for others."

- Frank Sonnenberg.

Your Dear Friend, Earth!

We asked our campers to show their appreciation for our big beautiful planet. This camper shows the importance of managing waste and reusing materials.

Teleport Trials

Our TaleTree friend and technology expert, Cody, masterminded his very own teleportation device. Campers got to choose their very own location to teleport. Where would you go?