<p>calmom, very wise feedback you are giving. I was feeling that I’m being pulled to this college race and was feeling a little bit stress out by taking my D to travel and not given her time to do something else for her college resume. You are right, they will go away and this time with her will be great memories to have.
-paying3tuitions, my D has been asking for her own camara and now I see how it can benefit her, thanks!</p>
<p>Mom112233, my daughter went to China last summer for 2 weeks, with a group from her school. One of the girls in the group took 400 photos with her digital camera! (My d. had a camera, but she is not such a shutter bug - she probably took only about 20 pics). The great thing is that the other girl took photos of everything and everybody, even the food they ate. After the trip, her Dad put all the photos on CDs and gave one to each of the kids, and I borrowed the CD & put it all on my computer and then uploaded many of the photos to photobucket – so the photos are there to share with everyone, and my d. could also put her favorites on her myspace & facebook accounts. Anyway – I definitely appreciated the other girl’s fascination with photography! I didn’t get to travel with my daughter, but I certainly have been able to share in the memories. </p>
<p>So a digital camera might be a very nice gift – if you get one, be sure to get an extra memory card.</p>
<p>does a camera need special insurance if you travel?</p>
<p>The combination of teenage insecurities and peer pressure can be a powerful and destructive force. Teenagers need to learn to fit into society, but in addition to fitting in and conforming, the teenager also needs to develop individual self-directed interests. I think that transition is part of the maturity that schools are looking for and part of what we call leadership. The “leader” moves beyond conformity and group expectations and sets his/her own goals. As Calmom pointed out so clearly, joining groups and winning popularity contests are examples of “follower” activities. The leader needs to lead themselves first and move in a direction that goes beyond the group mentality. It seems to me that a trip to China should be a wonderful experience by itself. There should be no reason to try to make that experience into something that will look good to anyone else, including adcoms. </p>
<p>If your D has been asking for a camera, this should be a top priority. Digital camera prices have really fallen very rapidly within the past couple of months. You can get a very good, name brand, 5-7 mp camera for $200 or less. At that price there is no reason for extended warranties or insurance. Look for deals on memory cards and buy several 1-2 G cards! Be sure to get a camera that will take disposable batteries. Who knows - your D may become really excited with the creativity of photography.</p>
<p>3 somewhat random comments to the OP</p>
<p>1) A few years ago a parent wrote something like this … “my job is to help my child become the best version of the person they are meant to be” … meaning guide and assist them as they explore life and figure out who they are. They may be a leader, they may not … they may focus on academics, they may not … they may XXX, they may not. Personally, I found this to be great advice.</p>
<p>2) Repeating advice given … elite schools are not necessarily looking for leadership … they are looking for interesting students who get seriously involved in things. This involvement may include leadership or it may not. For me, I’m supporting my kids interests outside of academics whereever that leads (at least as long as it is legal and not life-threatning)</p>
<p>3) Leader or Not. I believe there is a element of predetermination on this one … some people are natural born leaders, some can develop into them, and some people are not leaders (lord knows I’ve worked for some of this last group) … and for those who really are not leaders developing their strengths is probably a more supportive approch then trying to turn them into something they are not. </p>
<p>4) Leadership Styles. One of my kids is quite atheltic and has always played “leadership posistions” like the point guard on basketball teams. One parenting/coaching mistake I wish I had a mulligan on is trying to mold his leadership style into what I perceived as the appropriate point guard leaderhsip style … talkactive on the court barking out orders to everyone. That just is not my son’s style … he is a leader but has grown into his own style … his teammates look to him to lead and he controls the team; and there is never any barking out on the court involved. Thankfully I caught on an let him grow into his version of leadership.</p>
<p>Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) is a great program for sophomores - see if your area has had a seminar yet - <a href=“http://www.hoby.org%5B/url%5D”>www.hoby.org</a> </p>
<p>My daughter is going to a seminar in a couple of weeks - I went to one myself when I was a soph (I won’t date myself). Every HS gets to choose an ambassador, but if your D is not selected or your school does not participate she can still register for a relatively low fee (compared to other leadership programs out there) if the seminar staff allows it - they may not be able to due to space restrictions.</p>
<p>After the seminar, the ambassadors are challenged to go into their communities/schools, see what the needs are, and make a difference (the reason why Hugh targeted sophomores in the first place), just the proactive things colleges love to see. Good luck with whatever your D chooses to do…</p>
<p>edad - thanks for your comments - it really helps to have other ppls perspective…and 3togo thanks to u too.</p>
<p>3togo mentioned “leadership styles.” It’s worth taking a moment to ponder this, as you prepare for a summer of travel. Some leaders tell others what to do, but other leaders are good at delegating chores, listening to the needs of others on a team, envisioning creative or efficient solutions rather than the usual drudge work.
If you think about the people in your life whom you respect, or to whom you grant leadership, they have certain qualities of character. They might be excellent listeners, very observant of the world around them, and with more independent vision than the larger crowd. If “all” your daughter does this summer, as she travels, is listen carefully to the new sounds and music, notice and observe the physical world (so the camera fits in there), and make some small suggestions or help family decisions about where to go or what to see (independent vision), she will be maturing and developing some leadership skills for her future. You don’t have to “do” anything extra or special this summer, but to experience the trip fully you can actually see some growth that will help her as a more confident person when she returns. You might not see the fruits of this until long after she returns to familiar home territory. Learning how to be a bit uncomfortable, as travel sometimes is, and keep a steady frame of mind, is learning to be a leader “someday.” Sharing and communicating perceptions with her parents, I would guess she’ll have a lot of benefit from this trip, but it just can’t be measured right away. Yet it is still very real and longlasting.
P.S. I love my parents, but honestly they never let me see the maps when we travelled! Big mistake. She can help navigate and will enjoy the trip much more if she has access to the maps.</p>
<p>paying3tuitions, i know and really hope that this trip will be of D benefit someday and somehow…we’ll for sure let her see the maps ; ) both my husband and I have terrible sense of direction. Thanks for developing further about leadership.</p>
<p>During the school year, my D volunteers and interns a couple of places- each requiring different skills- one has to do with are at a senior home</p>
<p>And during my last vacations, I put my Ds in charge of map reading, they were quicker at it and it gave them a sense of “we are smarter than mom”</p>
<p>As well, if there was any kind of crisis, or issue, I didn’t try and fix it alone, i asked for their help and they really stepped up</p>
<p>This is one of those times, this trip, where you give her some jobs- planning excursions, organzing guide books, memorizing some basic phrases</p>