Family Psychology and Camping
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Catching Dinner on Moreton Island |
Camping is a great way to build an intimate connection within a family, helping children to bond with their siblings and parents alike. Camping brings the whole family together, strengthening mental and physical fitness. In today’s highly connected world of information and entertainment it is easy to become reliant on being “entertained” for both children and parents. Our workplace is also now an always on always connected world where Blackberry’s, iPhones and laptops result in we work anywhere any time. Our homes are filled with internet connected devices, iPods, iPhones, Nintendo’s , DVDs, cable TV, Playstations, we demand and expect our entertainment to be on tap 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is easy for a family to fall into the trap of living parallel lives in this always connected world, making it even more important in everyone’s personal development to take a break , disconnect and enjoy a holiday where it is just about you and your family. Camping is a holiday where unstructured play, discovering nature and exploration are the focus for everyone.
The always on world
We live today in an amazing era where instant connectivity is found everywhere all the time. In our workplace we can communicate 24x7 , we conduct our jobs via our Blackberries, mobile phones and laptops anywhere anytime. Our children are all savvy internet users connecting via their school and home computers, their mobile phones and Nintendos, they can text quicker than we can type. Children build social networks through Club Penguin, Facebook and Think.com. This connectivity brings many advantages and when used right can help to improve work life balance and our access to information and freedom of speech. It can however also become overpowering, children forget how to play in an unstructured format, inventing games in the back yard. Children begin to lose the experience of just hanging out with friends, building the social networking skills they will carry for the rest of their lives. As adults we forget how to turn off, with work invading the precious time once saved for bonding with our partners and children. We begin to rely on external entertainment through the internet, movies, pay TV, concerts, gambling and extreme sports.
The Always on Connected Holiday
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Theme Park rides providing a high. |
This always on world has transgressed from our homes and our workplaces and is also now a part of many of our holidays. Family holidays now often revolve around popular tourist areas that have accommodation with pay TV, kids clubs, internet and a plethora of external entertainment. Mobile phones don’t stop and work can always sneak in via your blackberry if you let it. Entertainment ranges from theme parks, golf, tennis, guided tours, kids clubs, beauty treatments, restaurants, in room movies, fishing charters and so on . All of which can be very enjoyable in moderation but can also result in a family going away and not spending time together but rather chasing personal entertainment goals. For younger children it is also removing their chance to develop skills in unstructured play with their siblings, parents and themselves. The high can be great, but I challenge you to look back at these holidays and are they the ones you remember as a family as the best? You can get back on the plane to go home feeling exhausted and longing for more connection with your family members as you have all just spent two weeks individually pumping yourselves up on a false high. I am sure there is a good movie on the plane though.....
The Camping Alternative
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Camping is a great way for children to learn to respect nature ! |
Camping offers a completely different alternative and a great opportunity for you and your family to reconnect. Firstly camping offers a chance to disconnect from the world, turn the in car DVD off, turn your mobile phones off , the bumpy tracks and dust will destroy the Nintendos. I take great delight in finding campsites that are completely isolated from all other human contact and no phone reception. It is amazing to watch how quickly children begin to invent games with their siblings and friends, building cubbies in the bush, creating a story in the sand with a stick. Adults seem to find it harder but I challenge you to find that inner child within yourself and join them, these are the memories you will carry with you forever. The psychological importance of quiet time and time in nature is well documented, camping offers everyone the chance to “do nothing” and enjoy the fresh air, stars from horizon to horizon and the flora and fauna. Take a walk and explore the bush, we always carry a bird book, the kids love learning about the beautiful world we live in and helps to build a real respect for nature and the indigenous people who managed to look after it for so many years. Another important element to camping and adventuring is it is not all easy, living in each other’s pockets does test your emotions, you have to all pitch in, hiking with a pack is hard, it does rain, your 4wd might be stuck in a creek. These opportunities further build the family bond when you all have to pull together to get through the tough bits. It is often the toughest stories that we recite as the fondest memories around the dinner table years later. Even the simple daily tasks of cooking a meal become a focus for everyone to pitch in and help pull together as a team.
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Father and Son, spending time alone. |
Camping is not for everyone, but also it does not need to be complicated. In its simplest form it could be a night in a tent at a caravan park with modern facilities. By hiring a camper trailer, camping equipment, a 4wd or a complete pack it is even easier without having to purchase, own and maintain the equipment. I do challenge you however whatever holiday you take to think about how you spend the time with your children and your partner. We live in a high pressure fast moving world and there is great opportunity to make the most of your holidays to build the family bond, deepen your relationships with your children.
Rentarig supply everything you need for a family holiday including 4wd Hire , Camper Trailer Hire and camping equipment hire.
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