When I start to think about camping, the first thing that comes to mind is how much work it is, then I think about how exhausted we are after camping, and I wonder why we love it so much. Camping is a lot like setting up a new place to live for a short time, only to have to take it all down, pack up again, and spend days of cleaning everything after getting home. If you have never gone camping and are planning to, know what you are getting into! First of all, if you are going to do any kind of serious camping, you will need to take a visit to your local sporting goods store for camping supplies- tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses for those with bad backs (we've been known to use blow up beach rafts), camp stoves with cooking supplies, lanterns, flashlights, insect repellant, sunscreen, benedryl, folding beach chairs, tarps, some kind of canopy for cooking under, coolers, water coolers, lots of ice, food and drinks, marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate, and depending what kind of activities you will be doing when camping, you may need beach supplies, hiking gear, fishing supplies, or maybe just a hammock! Now that you have all of your camping gear, you'll need to find a way to hall your home away from home, and then set it all up- but cheer up, work has never been so fun, and once it is all set up, get your campfire going, fix your family some comforting camp food and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.
It seems there are two modes of thought on camping activities- structured and unstructured. The structured camp looks something like this: 6:00 wake-up, 6:30 quiet devotional time, or morning fitness exercises, 7:00 breakfast, 7:30 breakfast clean up, 8-8:30 nature walk, 9:00 craft, 10-12:00 swimming, 12:00 lunch, 12:30 clean-up, 1-2:00 games, 2-4:00 more beach activities, 4-5:00 clean up and quiet time, 5:00 dinner, 5:30 clean up after dinner, 6-7:00 story telling, 7-8:00 camp fire, sing along and smores. 8:00 ready for bed! This kind of organized camp is the kind of camp that keeps kids entertained and is often helpful when camping with several families, a church group or other organization. Then there is the no schedule spontaneous camp- the one that time is forgotten once everything is set up, and something happens only when you choose something to happen- it looks something like this: "wow, listen to all the birds so early in the morning- would you like some coffee honey?" "In a little while, I think I'm going to sleep some more." "Mom, I have to use the bathroom" "Alright sweetie, grab the roll of toilet paper and your tooth brush and I'll take you over there." Several hours later..."Does anyone want to go for a walk with me?" "How about a swim?" "Dad, can you take me fishing now?" Well you get the point. Actually, I prefer the unstructured camp. I think since camping seems to involve so much preparation, plan B allows me to catch up and really enjoy the outdoor experience. I know some people who like a little of both. They mostly relax at camp, but then they bring crafts, or schedule a few activities without having the entire time scheduled. A person needs to decide what he or she is comfortable with. When it's all over, everyone can be involved in the packing and cleaning up. Even little ones can pitch in with picking up any litter that is around, or carrying small items to the car. Camping is a great family experience, and whenever it is possible involve everyone. Finally, a few more pointers to make things easier when camping with babies and toddlers. Keep that wonderful pottie chair by your tent at night- it is kind of scary for small children to venture far from the tent after dark to find bathrooms. I also like to bring along a very small plastic swimming pool to wash babies or toddlers in, because they will get very dirty at camp. Last of all, as tempting as it is to bring radios, laptops, and other electronic forms of entertainment, try to give it up for a short time. To go camping is like taking a retreat from the day to day activity, and giving those items a break will give you more time for your family.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Family Travel Series Part 3
Traveling with babies or very young children may seem like a challenge, but with a little preparation and some helpful(I hope)advice, you may be able to make things a bit easier on yourself. I have had lots of experience traveling with my children- from one infant to my growing family of 5 children- from the airplane flight to the road trip- and traveling alone with my children and with the help of my husband. Since I have here various situations I will try to list some helpful tips. I shall start with tips for road trips with the very young, and conclude with air travel tips.
Road trips are such great ways for building special family memories. At the same time, parents may dread those long rides with fears about wining children, frequent bathroom stops and sibling rivalry in the cramped quarters of an automobile. Our family's greatest road trip challenge was a cross country trip with our then 18 month old daughter, our 6 and 7 year old daughters, and our 9 and 11 year old sons. Fortunately, the shorter day trips and just knowing our kids helped us strategize our plans.
Depending on the size of your car, and the size of your family, you may be able to bring extra baggage in comparison to air travel, but I would highly recommend that you do not over-pack. Besides your basic clothing and toiletries, here are a few handy items to bring along:
A portable potty chair- especially if you have girls. I found out from those shorter trips that public restrooms are not always close enough, and little girls would rather sit down if you get my point. I began to just leave a portable potty chair in my car for these situations.
A small cooler with water and healthy snacks- especially for longer trips when frequent stopping at convenience stores and fast food restaurants get tiresome and expensive after a while. When we took our cross country trip, we all quickly got tired of burgers and fries and craved salad and fresh fruit.
A small first aid kit, or at least bandages and antibiotic ointment.
Pre-recorded stories on cds/mp3s/tapes-whatever you have in your car. I realize many people now have dvd players in their cars- we did not have this luxury when my children were young, and I am actually glad we didn't. When we needed some down time we put on our story tapes. I suppose dvd's are good to help create a quiet time in the car, but try not to overuse them. Remember the lost art of the road trip games like how many blue cars can you count between here and the next exit, or the I'm thinking of an animal guessing game- or just looking out the window at the scenery.
Consider taking a road trip off season when attractions are less crowded and lines are shorter since little ones get tired quickly waiting in long lines.
If you have a larger car with more seating options strategically seat your children where they can be the most helpful and have the least conflicts, like an older sibling next to baby's car seat to help reach for those dropped toys or hold a baby bottle in place.
Whenever I traveled by air with my children, from a very young age I prepared them well in advance what to expect. Perhaps this is more out of necessity since my husband works in the travel industry and most of our air travel has been space available travel. This means if the flight is full, we need to wait for another, sometimes coming back to the airport the next day or so before one is available. Sometimes it means we won't have seats together- believe me this is torture for a 3 year old sitting across the row from mother and not next to her. Therefore, the best thing I could do was to prepare them. Before our trip we would get them coloring books, small toys or games, and snacks for the flight. We prepared them for staying in their seats instructing them that the only time to get out of the seat was to use the rest room and that meant only if the fasten seat belt sign was off and there were no food or beverage carts in the aisle. For our preschool aged children, we had them wear a pull up just in case the light wouldn't come on and they couldn't wait- for emergencies. They were told ahead of time that if our seats were not together that mom or dad would come to their seat right after the seat belt sign was turned off to check on them and we would continue to check throughout the flight. We told them the rules on the plane about storing their bags, and when they could take something out. They were told ahead that the food and drinks were served at a certain time during the flight and they needed to wait for that time. If they wanted something before that time, they had their own snacks. I am a big fan of traveling light, and when it comes to air travel we pack only what fits into a carry-on. Each of my children have always had a carry-on wheel bag proportional to the size they could pull. I also had gum for my children to give them for the descent. This helps with the pressure changes in the ear. Wake up children when the flight descends so they can focus on relieving the pressure in their ears. Children are usually more sensitive than adults to the pressure changes. If you have an infant who is riding on your lap, nursing or giving a bottle during descent is helpful. My husband and I spent a lot of time preparing our children for air travel, and it really paid off. If you have seen my profile, you know we are from Hawaii, which means the flights we go on are long flights. Children can and do behave on a long flight- sometimes even better than adults I have seen! Just prepare, prepare, prepare!
Road trips are such great ways for building special family memories. At the same time, parents may dread those long rides with fears about wining children, frequent bathroom stops and sibling rivalry in the cramped quarters of an automobile. Our family's greatest road trip challenge was a cross country trip with our then 18 month old daughter, our 6 and 7 year old daughters, and our 9 and 11 year old sons. Fortunately, the shorter day trips and just knowing our kids helped us strategize our plans.
Depending on the size of your car, and the size of your family, you may be able to bring extra baggage in comparison to air travel, but I would highly recommend that you do not over-pack. Besides your basic clothing and toiletries, here are a few handy items to bring along:
A portable potty chair- especially if you have girls. I found out from those shorter trips that public restrooms are not always close enough, and little girls would rather sit down if you get my point. I began to just leave a portable potty chair in my car for these situations.
A small cooler with water and healthy snacks- especially for longer trips when frequent stopping at convenience stores and fast food restaurants get tiresome and expensive after a while. When we took our cross country trip, we all quickly got tired of burgers and fries and craved salad and fresh fruit.
A small first aid kit, or at least bandages and antibiotic ointment.
Pre-recorded stories on cds/mp3s/tapes-whatever you have in your car. I realize many people now have dvd players in their cars- we did not have this luxury when my children were young, and I am actually glad we didn't. When we needed some down time we put on our story tapes. I suppose dvd's are good to help create a quiet time in the car, but try not to overuse them. Remember the lost art of the road trip games like how many blue cars can you count between here and the next exit, or the I'm thinking of an animal guessing game- or just looking out the window at the scenery.
Consider taking a road trip off season when attractions are less crowded and lines are shorter since little ones get tired quickly waiting in long lines.
If you have a larger car with more seating options strategically seat your children where they can be the most helpful and have the least conflicts, like an older sibling next to baby's car seat to help reach for those dropped toys or hold a baby bottle in place.
Whenever I traveled by air with my children, from a very young age I prepared them well in advance what to expect. Perhaps this is more out of necessity since my husband works in the travel industry and most of our air travel has been space available travel. This means if the flight is full, we need to wait for another, sometimes coming back to the airport the next day or so before one is available. Sometimes it means we won't have seats together- believe me this is torture for a 3 year old sitting across the row from mother and not next to her. Therefore, the best thing I could do was to prepare them. Before our trip we would get them coloring books, small toys or games, and snacks for the flight. We prepared them for staying in their seats instructing them that the only time to get out of the seat was to use the rest room and that meant only if the fasten seat belt sign was off and there were no food or beverage carts in the aisle. For our preschool aged children, we had them wear a pull up just in case the light wouldn't come on and they couldn't wait- for emergencies. They were told ahead of time that if our seats were not together that mom or dad would come to their seat right after the seat belt sign was turned off to check on them and we would continue to check throughout the flight. We told them the rules on the plane about storing their bags, and when they could take something out. They were told ahead that the food and drinks were served at a certain time during the flight and they needed to wait for that time. If they wanted something before that time, they had their own snacks. I am a big fan of traveling light, and when it comes to air travel we pack only what fits into a carry-on. Each of my children have always had a carry-on wheel bag proportional to the size they could pull. I also had gum for my children to give them for the descent. This helps with the pressure changes in the ear. Wake up children when the flight descends so they can focus on relieving the pressure in their ears. Children are usually more sensitive than adults to the pressure changes. If you have an infant who is riding on your lap, nursing or giving a bottle during descent is helpful. My husband and I spent a lot of time preparing our children for air travel, and it really paid off. If you have seen my profile, you know we are from Hawaii, which means the flights we go on are long flights. Children can and do behave on a long flight- sometimes even better than adults I have seen! Just prepare, prepare, prepare!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Family Travel Series Part 2
To begin my blog with a family travel series is both spontaneous and logical. It's spontaneous since I haven't outlined my blog with a what to write about list, and it's logical since I am currently planning my own family's vacation. In my last excerpt I shared that I will be writing about some of my own experiences. Here is where it begins- with my own childhood. Those adventures were mainly shaped by books, people, actual travel opportunities, and finally an imagination full of all sorts of wonderful dreams.
I am so thankful that while I was growing up my parents provided me with all kinds of books at home. I remember my mother telling me the reason for this was mostly economical when I was very young. She could steer me to the "Little Golden Books" and leave the toy shop without breaking the bank. When I was in the first grade our family got a beautiful set of encyclopedias. Those were my favorite books. I loved looking at pictures of exotic places and reading about worlds I could only imagine. They were full of maps and history-ah! history! The world amazed me!
Various people in my life also created a desire for me to see new places. I grew up in a small town, but even there I enjoyed meeting people who came from far away places. I had a neighbor from Ireland, and I can still picture her descriptions of the farm in Galway that had no electricity or running water and imagined how they would catch the rainwater. Two older gentlemen in my church came from England and filled my head with stories of people and places and olden days. I always loved to find out the places people came from, and places they had been to. My aunt and uncle had taken some vacations to far places. More special than the souvenirs were the pictures and guide books they brought back, and the stories of the fun they had.
While I wished that I could see the world, every summer I was able to go to my own very special world. My parents had a summer cottage that we shared with my aunt, uncle and cousins. I loved exploring in the woods, floating on a raft on a hot, muggy day, and staring at the starry sky over the lake on a clear dark night. This was my world and it was the next best thing to heaven. My good friend once told me that the number one best childhood memory people recall is the summer camping experience. Whether it's a cottage, or a tent camping trip or in an RV, I believe there is something very special and quite mystical about being so close to Gods wonderful creation and experiencing nature.
The books, the people, and the experience of being away from home, all these things stirred up my imagination, and were the inspiration for dreams later lived out. In my next blog entry I will share some great family trips we have taken, and look specifically at the times we travelled with infants, toddlers, and very young children.
I am so thankful that while I was growing up my parents provided me with all kinds of books at home. I remember my mother telling me the reason for this was mostly economical when I was very young. She could steer me to the "Little Golden Books" and leave the toy shop without breaking the bank. When I was in the first grade our family got a beautiful set of encyclopedias. Those were my favorite books. I loved looking at pictures of exotic places and reading about worlds I could only imagine. They were full of maps and history-ah! history! The world amazed me!
Various people in my life also created a desire for me to see new places. I grew up in a small town, but even there I enjoyed meeting people who came from far away places. I had a neighbor from Ireland, and I can still picture her descriptions of the farm in Galway that had no electricity or running water and imagined how they would catch the rainwater. Two older gentlemen in my church came from England and filled my head with stories of people and places and olden days. I always loved to find out the places people came from, and places they had been to. My aunt and uncle had taken some vacations to far places. More special than the souvenirs were the pictures and guide books they brought back, and the stories of the fun they had.
While I wished that I could see the world, every summer I was able to go to my own very special world. My parents had a summer cottage that we shared with my aunt, uncle and cousins. I loved exploring in the woods, floating on a raft on a hot, muggy day, and staring at the starry sky over the lake on a clear dark night. This was my world and it was the next best thing to heaven. My good friend once told me that the number one best childhood memory people recall is the summer camping experience. Whether it's a cottage, or a tent camping trip or in an RV, I believe there is something very special and quite mystical about being so close to Gods wonderful creation and experiencing nature.
The books, the people, and the experience of being away from home, all these things stirred up my imagination, and were the inspiration for dreams later lived out. In my next blog entry I will share some great family trips we have taken, and look specifically at the times we travelled with infants, toddlers, and very young children.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Family Travel Series Part 1
Spring is here and the peak vacation season is just around the corner. Some people may have vacation planning on the mind. We do! In fact, with a husband who works in the travel industry, getting geared up for vacations is one of the big highlights we look forward to. If you could create a memory for your family, I would highly suggest planning a vacation.
Vacations can be as simple or as elaborate as time and money allow. In my experience, great memories can be made whether it be a long weekend camping experience, the cross country road trip, or the overseas trip of a lifetime.
Vacations can also be very intentional. They mark milestones in our lives. A honeymoon is the crowning to the wedding for a newly married couple. We have planned trips for our children as rites of passage, marking special times in their lives. Vacations bring distant relations closer together for the purpose of keeping in touch with loved ones. They offer a time out for a couple to have time alone away from the children to focus on their own very special relationship. A vacation can also be a retreat for one member of the family to find some personal time to become spiritually and physically refreshed.
Over this next week, I hope to jot down a few of my own personal vacation experiences- not only what was great and memorable, but also what could have been better but still was memorable! I hope our journeys will encourage you!
Vacations can be as simple or as elaborate as time and money allow. In my experience, great memories can be made whether it be a long weekend camping experience, the cross country road trip, or the overseas trip of a lifetime.
Vacations can also be very intentional. They mark milestones in our lives. A honeymoon is the crowning to the wedding for a newly married couple. We have planned trips for our children as rites of passage, marking special times in their lives. Vacations bring distant relations closer together for the purpose of keeping in touch with loved ones. They offer a time out for a couple to have time alone away from the children to focus on their own very special relationship. A vacation can also be a retreat for one member of the family to find some personal time to become spiritually and physically refreshed.
Over this next week, I hope to jot down a few of my own personal vacation experiences- not only what was great and memorable, but also what could have been better but still was memorable! I hope our journeys will encourage you!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Don't be afraid to ask! I have been asked over the years by friends and people I meet to write about my experiences as a mother, to give counsel, encouragement, a helpful suggestion. Well busy mothers don't usually have a whole lot of time to think long enough and gather up those thoughts to write a book, but somehow we do have time enough to talk to a friend in need, or to give advice to our children and their friends. Mothers do have a lot to say. Well yesterday when a friend told me once again that I should write, the blog was suggested. Maybe I can do this! It isn't so formal. I's kind of like sitting over a hot cup of coffee and discussing life's most pressing issues of the moment with my dear friends! Here goes!
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