It was almost too late in the year to take the family camping last weekend, but we wanted to make sure we went before it truly became too cold for tents! We realized a few months ago that our younger children had never been. Sure, they have traveled from the Midwest to the Grand Canyon, up through the Sequoias in California, through Yellow Stone Park and back to the Midwest last Spring, but tent camping… the five youngest were too young to remember. Two of the five weren’t even born yet.
So we stocked up on necessary supplies and headed to the lake for the weekend. My mom brought her RV. Our oldest daughter and her new husband met us there late Friday night and my brother-in-law and his wife and children came up for the day on Saturday.
Our weekend camping trip included the usual activities; swimming, playing, a lot of talking together, campfires and s’mores. But what I left with was unexpected.
The Take Away
With fewer distractions, temporary camping life forces a mom to focus on everything that is real and in her immediate surroundings. The world outside of her physical viewing area is far enough away to not be a lure or distraction. Even cooking became a time to talk uninterrupted to several of my children each time I stood at the barbecue.
The lake with nearby playground was a 2-3 minute walk from our campsite. Up and down the path I walked several times each day to watch the kids fish, take them to the playground, ride the jet ski, etc. I was focused on just the family for those few days.
I stood by the side of my 5 year old as he caught 8 fish! He was elated! I found myself telling him, “There’s another one! Drop your line in right there!” I watched my 2 year old go up the ladder and down the slide about 100 times. And each time she sat at the top of the enclosed spiral slide she would say, “Mom, you stand wite dewr (right there) so I can see you.” She wanted me at the bottom of the slide so she could see me when she reached the end. And each time, I was there waiting for her, to offer her praise and encouragement.
Times like this are irreplaceable and though a mom can focus this much on her family at home, it becomes more of a challenge with so many distractions.
Putting oneself in a place where there is nothing else to do but enjoy and serve her family is such a good thing! It helps to clarify what is truly important in life. It is something a family should do 2 or 3 times per year, once a year at the very least.
If we would all pare down some distractions we have in our everyday lives, we would see our families thriving.
How about you? Are you distracted, or are distractions causing you to lose focus at home?
We go camping every summer with our family and I always come back with those same thoughts. I desire to simplify in all areas as I see how we just don’t need much and I’m able to enjoy my family more. It’s always difficult to keep this perspective once the busyness of home life kicks back in. Great post!! Glad you could enjoy that time with your sweet family!
I can’t wait until we can do the same 🙂
This is so true. When we camp, I might be outside playing frisbee with the kids, which isn’t something I would normally be doing. We spend so much quality family time together while camping. It takes away the distractions. We even bought a camper last year, and have been on many family adventures!
Love it!! Being away from distractions is rejuvenating!