Peaceful slumber (for baby!) in the wilderness
Happy campers!
…submitted by Utah reader: Dawn
One of the main reasons I was afraid to have a child was my fear of having to give up things I love (for example, my husband and I love camping!). Once I got over all my fears, and we were on the road to parenting, we started to plan our first camping adventure with our 2 month old daughter. The first “trail” run was done only an hour from our house for one night. Having been seasoned campers for over 15 years, we thought, how hard can it be? Nursing child, mom and dad all in one tent – piece of cake. All went well until just before going to sleep. Our daughter “urped” (our family word for throwing up) on herself and the sleeping bag inside the tent. Panic struck my husband, and he said, “How many changes of clothing did you pack for her?” Luckily, I’d packed plenty, and we got through the night peacefully. We continued to go camping for various lengths of time and took longer road trips during our daughter’s first year. Now, eight years later, we attempt to get to the woods (or desert) for camp outs several times a year. So – my motto is to be open to trying something new with kids, because it’s not as hard as one initially thinks. Now, parenthood? That’s another story! 😉
Le Top blog 
Some friends of mine took their baby rock climbing early on. OK the rocks were more like boulders and the baby sat nearby and watched them as they took turns climbing. He barely slowed their life down at all. Now that they have two I’m sure they’ve had to scale back a bit but I know it hasn’t stopped them.
We are planning on taking our daughter camping for the first time this summer. She’s 26 months and I’m positive she will love it. It’s just a matter of making sure we have what we need in case of all reasonable situations.
Thanks for sharing! We are planning our first trip into the “wild” and this really reassured me that we will be just fine. 🙂
Packing for camping with toddlers is a bit different than with babies. Just remember a few favorite (washable) toys, extra clothes (or give up the idea of keeping those clothes clean), and a few extra first aid items (check with your trusted health care provider if you need advice in that area). I’ve been amazed over the years what a little person can enjoy playing with while camping – especially if you have sand toys – regardless of whether it is sand or dirt they are playing with, sand toys provide lots of entertainment!
Best wishes for fun outdoor adventures!
I love the photo of the baby in the tent! I truly believe that children gain self confidence when encouraged to ‘step outside’ their comfort zone – especially when mom and dad are there to literally catch them when they fall! My older daughter Betsy and I were just talking about the experience of taking her skiing when she was 4 years old – of course it was not the kind of trip I was used to making, no fast runs down the slope, but she remembers the adventure, and that is what is important!
My mom and dad loved camping too! When I was just a newborn they took me out camping with them. They said that their “outdoor adventures” didn’t change until my sister came along…they still took us camping, but it was just a little less than their hearts had a desire for.
I agree with Chris as well, I definitely gained a sense of adventure while camping, skiing, etc with my parents.
Camping and babies — two of my “favorite” things in life!