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Family camping has surprising benefits
Camping
for the first time with two toddlers had a
surprising conclusion. Parking a compact tent
trailer on a tiny lot of dirt and having to share
limited bathroom facilities is not my first choice
for relaxation. However, seeing my children turn
our trailer into ‘the girls club’ and giggling like
crazy as they hid from the boys was enough to make
me stay an extra day. Our normally reserved five
year old, made some friends and had such a good time
she wanted to live at the campsite forever.
Children are great unifiers of communities. They
troll the campsite for potential companions and
strike up friendships based solely on willingness to
play. As parents we want to know who our children
are playing with, so we introduce ourselves to the
playmate’s parents and strike up our own
friendships. Once this union is made, there are all
sorts of synergies that occur. You no longer are
the only set of eyes watching for safety and can
relax a lot more. Often you end up sharing
resources to make communal meals which can cut
efforts significantly. Meeting new people you get
to learn about their interesting lives and share
funny stories together. It all helps to leave
behind the daily stresses of life and enjoy the
moment.
Two year olds are still challenging when camping
though. They don’t quite get why they can’t do
everything their big sister can and why throwing
sand gets you a time out. Forgetting the playpen
made bedtime more challenging too. Naps were
non-existent, and bedtime was later than normal
because of all the campsite activity. We learned
she loves the water though and is not nearly as
reserved as her sister.
I got to test out many of the camping tips I
received from experienced friends. The storage bin
idea instead of luggage was great even though it
didn’t rain. They were easy to stack and keep
clean. Although I’d use shorter ones next time for
the clothes so I wouldn’t have to rummage as much.
The headlamp was great for reading stories at night
cuddled up in the dark. I was surprised that the
glow bracelets lasted as long as they did, and they
made for just the right amount of light at night.
The s’mores were a big hit using the chocolate
digestives. The chocolate melted quickly and made a
very yummy treat.
Next time we go camping though I’m going to go
trolling with my kids right away, so we can meet our
community early on and enjoy even more benefits.
Many friendships are forged this way that can last a
lifetime. |
