Sometimes it seems that there is no better way of promoting family bonding than a camping trip. Just think of the opportunities in outdoor cooking with the right outdoor cooking stove, in setting up camp and the adventure side of things – needless to say the teaching and mentoring opportunities.
Everybody benefits from human relationships and bonding is at a higher level as it includes trust, love and fulfillment – and this is even more important between parents and their children. The bonding between fathers and sons as well as that between mothers and daughters should never be missing. It lays the foundation for a healthy development and the future adults they will become. At the same time the emotional benefits for the parents are incalculable. Much of what we become is influenced, positively or negatively, by our family relations.
The family structure provides father role models for the sons as mothers o for their daughters.
One of the best and natural scenarios that promote bonding is camping trips. The hands on experiences make it the ideal occasion for sharing, interacting, teaching and just plain goofing off. Being away from the home, the television and all other distractions provides moments where sharing, talking, teaching and doing things together just flow.
Camping is for everybody, no matter age or gender. Young kids – even toddlers, teens, adults, grand parents, in fact just about everybody can enjoy camping out and with this all the opportunities of sharing, working together, cooking and even spinning a yarn while sitting round the fire. We sometimes forget that grand parents and older adults also contribute enormously to children having a good time and when this happens the family bonding goes beyond parents and child -the whole family can be involved.
The following are five ideas on the type of camping trips for you – the next step is up to you.
1. One type of expedition, though not necessarily a camping one, is hiking. You can easily plan one that takes into account ages, difficulty and natural beauty. There are also three parts of a hiking trip that make for worthwhile experiences as well as memories. The planning stage. Involve your clan. The actual hike – and here if the younger ones find it hard, tell a story (make them part of the story if you like) and amazingly they will soon forget about the effort. The hike itself will be full of opportunities. And then the last part. Talking about it – somehow it always turns out better and the memory wonder.
2. Fishing Expeditions. As with other camping alternatives, part of the fun is to choose where, with whom and the getting the right gear. From the point of view of bonding, fishing implies a teaching and sharing experience. You have many alternatives in America – fresh water (lakes, rivers, streams) and sea fishing (off the coast or further out).
3. RV Camping Trips. One of the advantages of an RV camping trip is that the range of camping sites is larger simply because you can cover longer distances. You can also stop at various camping sites as part of the whole trip. Another advantage is that you combine both home amenities with contact with nature – days out and outdoor cooking (with your outdoor cooking stove) go hand in hand. Bonding is not exactly forced on you, but it is hard not to. The actual experience of these trips together with the memories that many times are also safe guarded by photographs provide great memories.
4. Backpacking Expeditions. In the family bonding type of trip, it is better when the children are no longer toddlers, maybe 8 upwards (depending on your child). This simply because there will be times you may have to help them along and there is the risk that the long looked forward to trip turns into a nightmare. Having said that, there is something about this type of trips that builds up confidence, create great and long lasting memories and are always an educational experience. Apart from all that they are fun.
5. Camping in a Tent. In the realm of camping trips this one is definitely the king. You have many options in camping sites, but the important part is the sleeping out. For children, of all ages, there is something about sleeping out, with the dark night above overhanging the tent and knowing there are no walls around. There is a delicious feeling of danger in the night, but knowing that the parents are around provides just the right note – security in protection but the image of the wild.
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