Camping Expeditions And Family Bonding
Thursday, September 30th, 2010Just about any camping expedition, with the exploring, camp set up, outdoor cooking, outdoor cooking stove and general interaction, is an excellent venue for family bonding.
Personal relationships are a highly influencing aspect of our development and perhaps the most important is family bonding. The special relationships between fathers and sons and mothers and daughter is based on the level and quality of the bonding between them. This is a basic structure that makes for healthy, or in unfortunate cases, unhealthy development. Much of what we become is influenced, positively or negatively, by our family relations.
Mothers are the natural role models for their daughters and in the same way fathers for their sons.
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.
A camping expedition is open to anyone and covering a large part of all age groups. From children, teens, parents and more. Each trip will have its own unique moments and experiences and this just highlights the bonding opportunities as well as the potential learning and teaching moments.
At times the last camping trip seems to be lost back in time and this could mean that camping ideas are not so easy to find. For these cases here are five ideas for types of camping trips you can plan.
1. Hiking seems to be very popular and with good reason. You can have short half day hiking trips, even shorter if you are out of practice or the members of your team fin it difficult. The good news here is that apart from the experience of nature, there are a large number of places you can go to and most have a difficulty grading system. These are safe and equally important, enjoyable days out. You will be surprised on your children’s stamina.
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 Expeditions. All in all a great alternative for your camping trips. You can spend longer time away, you can travel further and enjoy any of the numerous camping sites that cater for RV’s. Also, and people sometimes forget this, is that you can include other camping activities such as fishing and hiking as part of your overall trip and at the same time the typical camping site activities such as cooking and using your outdoor cooking stove. In short, together with many home comforts you have a lot of flexibility as to choices and activities.
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.
