For full show notes and resources, visit http://gocamp.pro/ownerspod

Your campers may want to come back, but the parents ultimately make that decision! Here’s how to manage their expectations to help them choose your camp again and again.

Parents and care-givers are the decision-makers. You can have a great program and great staff, but if you aren’t assessing, managing and responding to parent expectations, you won’t earn their trust, and they won’t send their kids to your camp.

In the day and age of the “bulldozer/lawnmower” parent, it can sometimes feel like the parents and the staff have set up an unrealistic amount of expectations that leave us almost beholden to them.

However, it’s important to remember that we are an industry that has always strongly believed, and continue to believe in helping people. Even if a parent’s expectations can feel like a burden, it’s important that we take a step back, accept their feelings as valid, and support them the best that we can.

So how do we strike that balance? How do we help everyone get on the same level and get excited 

In our third episode of the podcast, Howie and Kelly are joined by Corey Dockswell from Camp Wicosuta and Emma Fogel who is a camp alumnus and registered social worker with The Social Work Consulting Group. Our four hosts come together to discuss how they have seen parent’s expectations shift over the last few years, as well as to share best practices when it comes to responding to those expectations. 

Tune in to hear about:

• When the camp dream became real for Corey and Emma
• How to manage parent’s expectations when it comes to their wanting of “control” or ensuring that their kids are always happy
• Communicating the benefits of the things at camp that comes with a bit of “positive stress” or “healthy risk”
• Ways to help staff understand parent’s expectations to set them up for success
• Some practical tips on systems and boundaries to establish within your communication systems

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What Inspires You?

Howie: The Summer Camp community rallying around each other in the uncertain times that we are in.

Kelly: Happy Campers - by Audrey Monke - https://amzn.to/33nVGkz

Corey: An awesome quote from a camp parent - “We control ship and sail, but never wind and wave…. While we are in unsettling times, we will get through the storm.”

Emma: You are Awesome - by Neil Pasricha - https://amzn.to/2x5TMsu 

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HOST LINKS:

Hosts: 

• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

Guests:

• Corey Dockswell, Director, Camp Wicosuta

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Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Can your camp take another year of staff strain, long days, and parent communication headaches? Put systems in place now to retain returners and recruit high‑fit staff so the season bends, not breaks.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.