MONTHLY ARCHIVES: January 2011

4 Stay-Sane Strategies for Parents

Posted by Phil

It’s not just that they were trying to be difficult, or push your buttons. There is more behind it than that. Learn how brain research in teens has taught us more about why your kids do what they do. (That’s right, there may be an explanation after all.) There are areas of the brain — not surprisingly, the ones responsible for things like planning ahead and weighing priorities — that continue to develop well into their 20s.

Read, Inside the Teenage Brain by Judith Newman.

Enjoy the read… it may make you feel better…

Phil Berry
Assistant Director, Camp Ridgecrest
Parent of Piper and Lily


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Loving Your Kids On Purpose

Posted by Phil

A title like that gets your attention doesn’t it? It got mine, what do I accidentally love my daughters? Well, I suppose I do sometimes. And other times I love them because I can’t help it. And then, the more I thought about it,  I realized that there are lots of times when I decide to love them. Why? Well, I’m frustrated with them. But they are mine. And just like Jesus chooses to love us when we blow it big time, I choose to love Piper and Lily Berry no matter what they do.

I know this isn’t necessarily ground breaking stuff here. But it does give me the chance to point you to a book that Amy and I are reading in our house. I think we might have to read it a few times because it’s such a shift in thinking….it is redefining the way we love and discipline our kids. So, I invite you to take a look as well…

The title of the book? Yep, Loving Your Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk. This link is to Amazon where you can even pick up a used copy…

As I begin the New Year, I like the idea of “fresh” things. Fresh goals, fresh calendars, fresh ideas… why not a fresh look at the way we discipline and love our kids. One last disclaimer…I’m still thinking through these ideas. We have tried some of them in our home, and they work very well. But we have by no means mastered the philosophy of the book….

Enjoy! And let me know what you think about the book…

Phil Berry
Assistant Director
Dad to Piper and Lily


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3 Ways Camp Stands By Parents

Posted by Phil

Sometimes I feel like I’m in a special club because I’m a parent. I don’t have a special handshake, and I don’t get to nod at a doorman who lets me pass into a special room. But I do get to share countless experiences and side conversations with other parents that seem to put us on the same level…and perhaps in the same club.

As you do your best to parent your children. We at Ridgecrest Summer Camps want to do our best to walk along side you, working with you rather than against you throughout your child’s adolescence. With some of our directors with as many as 35 years of Ridgecrest experience under their belt, it’s exciting to know that we have seen quite a few campers grow from tiny 6 year-olds, to college students pouring their lives into young kids. We have a unique opportunity to partner with parents for a lifetime.

So it is because of this unique role that we have been given, that we feel driven to continue our ministry to your family no matter what time of year it is. We have chosen to do this in a few ways.

  1. Weekly Devotions – every Monday Morning we post a new camper devotion on our blog.
  2. Parent Blog – We want to help equip you and put resources in front of you that can help answer questions along the way.
  3. We are on Facebook. It may seem strange, but we feel that our presence on Facebook has more of an impact than we originally anticipated. As campers see us on a regular basis online, they are reminded of what they learned at Camp…and ultimately, reminded of Jesus.

Thanks for what you do in the lives of your kids and the kids in your community. Please let us know if we can ever do anything for you.

Phil Berry
Assistant Director
Parent of Piper and Lily Berry


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“Conversation Starters” Are Coming…

Posted by Phil

As a parent, we have very unique roles with our kids. Especially while they are young, we get to talk to them more than anyone else. And then as they grow up, unfortunately, we slowly lose this privilege.

So no matter what stage of childhood our kids are in, we can always use a little cheat sheet to help have those important conversations. Some of these “Conversation Starters” may be perfect for you, and some may not be as beneficial the day you read them. Regardless, we plan to post a new Coonversation Starter about once a month, usually on the first Wednesday of the month.

Each post will give a separate question for Preschoolers, for Children, and for Students, all worded so that they can understand it. And we hope that this will be just one more way that we can partner with you as you raise your amazing kids! Thanks for letting us be a part of what the Lord is already doing in your family.

Any questions or concerns? I’d love to hear from you, one parent to another.

Phil Berry
Assistant Director
Parent of Piper and Lily


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