The other day, I ran into a friend outside of the grocery store. She told me that their family was getting ready to go camping. She sighed as she said it, shoulders slumped, and declared, “It’s just so hard, you know? There is just so much stuff to do…” She took her little girls by the hands and headed into the store, already feeling exhausted by what lay ahead. I saw her again today and asked how their trip went. She smiled and said that it was great, the kids had a good time, everything went reasonably well, they even had been able to borrow a friend’s camp trailer so they didn’t have to sleep on the ground…. and then she added, honestly, “But, it’s so much work. I kept wondering WHY we were out there, what were we doing? Why are we out here acting like we’re homeless?” I laughed and sympathized because everything she said is TRUE!
Camping is hard. Camping with young kids is at least ten times harder. And camping regularly with kids can feel nearly impossible. But, lots of good things require hard work and can be pretty miserable on occasion. {Raising kids – in general – comes to mind….} We recognize that there are benefits to suffering through challenging times. After all, that IS why so many of us pack up the car, yet again, to trek out into the wilderness with our children.
But I want to encourage you and offer you a couple of reasons why I believe camping truly is a valuable activity for the family, and how its benefits can extend far beyond a night under the stars.
1) You get comfortable being uncomfortable. I recently discovered – admitted – that one of my core values is convenience. Ease, comfort… however you say it, I make it a priority to keep things easy and convenient. One of the things I struggled with on our sailing trip is that NOTHING was convenient, NOTHING was easy. Doing the simplest task, like making toast or getting a bowl of cereal, could turn into a disaster that would require an hour of clean-up. Like camping, it was an excellent exercise in teaching me how to get comfortable being uncomfortable. We live in a world where comfort is idolized. Even getting dressed would ideally be “effortless.” Yet, most of us want to instill in our kids a strong work ethic, a sturdy heart for discipline, and a solid character for perseverance so they won’t give up when life gets rough. Camping helps build these qualities in kids without feeling like an obvious object lesson. I love that camping gives a context to discuss so many character traits. When your child is complaining about having to sit still somewhere, you can remind them of that time that they slept with a rock under their sleeping pad and yet managed to get a great night’s sleep – they can do hard things!! and be great at it! It’s so important to encourage our kids to be ok when life gets uncomfortable, and camping provides so many opportunities to model that.
2) It’s a NEEDED distraction from everyday real life. At home, it is very hard for me to relax or to be present with our kids. Everywhere I look, there are reminders of all the things I should/could be doing…and doing BETTER than I currently am. The usual things: cleaning, laundry, meal planning, schooling, but also playing with my kids, enjoying the beautiful day, getting outside, calling up friends, work. At home, the distractions and necessary tasks seem endless, and important things can fall by the wayside. However, when we’re camping, life slows down and the important things come back into focus. You’re mostly just dealing with the essentials: shelter, food, warmth, relationships. Although we bring A LOT of stuff, we are still only working with a limited amount and it all feels manageable. I love those moments when I look around at our kids winding single-file through the trees looking for critters, and I take in a deep breath, and I am filled with the temporary realization that this is all that there is. In this moment, there are no piles waiting to be taken care of, no emails crowding for attention, no shoulds or coulds, just THIS. This life right here in front of me. And it’s a GOOD life. We all desperately need to be reminded of that. We all need these moments.
3) It allows kids to be wild and crazy without getting into trouble. This is actually one of my top reasons for getting our boys outside. Jasper, our middle, is very loud. All the time. I don’t even know how many dozens of times a day I tell him to be quiet. I get tired of saying it and I know he must get tired of hearing it. He tromps down the stairs, whispers at the volume of an adult man’s voice, and shouts at you when he’s sitting a foot away. He is also the more aggressive of our boys. He loves running into things and knocking stuff over, generally being a bit more rambunctious. When we go camping, it is so nice to be able to allow him to yell, encourage him to run around, encourage him to climb rocks and whack sticks against a tree, throw things… I know that it feels freeing to ME, so I can only imagine what it’s like for him! When we’re camping, the typical rules are don’t get lost, don’t hurt your brothers, don’t hurt our gear, and try to not hurt yourself. Super simple. He – and we! – can fully embrace his boisterous personality. And I really hope that he and our other boys carry this with them their whole life – this understanding and association that being in nature draws out the deepest, truest parts of them.
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Matt will be the first one to tell you that I have opted out of camping several times, or sighed heavily at just the thought of getting packed up. For a couple seasons there, I refused to go because being out in the woods with a crawling baby just did not sound like my idea of a good time. But, I have never regretted going camping and I am super excited for the years ahead with the boys being just that much more independent and capable.
And, lest you think that we are those people who make it sound all fun and games and just think all the good thoughts, wait for Matt’s upcoming post about the time one of our boys got the stomach bug in the middle of the night… poop potholes under the tent vestibule are a real thing.
