The Gift of Independence and Failure - with Brooke Cheley-Klebe and Jeff Cheley - The A-Parently Podcast #31

We know that a strong, independent child is something that we, as parents, should strive to raise.We also know that in order for kids to be independent they need to be prepared for the consequences of being independent.And what we ALSO know, (that our children may not know) is that with the privilege of independence, comes the distinct possibility of failure.It's a tricky balance to navigate, but we need to make sure the prospect of failure doesn't scare them (or us) away from independence in the first place.It's a good thing that we have folks like Brooke and Jeff Cheley from Cheley Colorado Camps to help us figure this out! Brooke and Jeff treat both independence and failure as the bread and butter of the summer camp experience and are extremely intentional about how they build this with their staff and camper communities. Tune in to this episode for lots of great ways to take these concepts and apply the to the day to day of your family life.-Guest Bios:As part of the fourth generation of camp leadership, Brooke Cheley, daughter of Don, is the Director of Camper and Parent Services for Cheley. She lives in Denver in the winter months where she lives with her husband, Kurt, and their daughters, Ellie, Kate, and Sam. Brooke graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Communications. As a former competitor in freestyle skiing, an Ironman triathlete, and a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Patagonia, Brooke brings a wealth of knowledge to the backcountry program of Cheley. Brooke was a camper for nine summers and on staff as a counselor for three before joining the year-round team. She is a devoted, fun mom and treasures the camp experience.Jeff Cheley grew up in the camp industry. As the fourth generation of Cheley’s at Cheley Colorado Camps, he has been involved in camping from many different aspects. After working in the “real world” for six years, Jeff returned to camp full-time in 1999. Since his return, he has been involved in most of the aspects of camp. He currently works with his sister to lead the culture and strategic vision of the organization. Jeff is married to Erika and they have three boys: Jackson (age 13), Harrison (age 11), and Hayden (age 9). When he is not working or driving children to activities, Jeff enjoys playing golf, cycling, travelling, and relaxing.