Took the kids camping solo for the first time - survived!

Nov 20·1 min read

Wife had a work conference. Packed up the van with kids ages 4, 7, and 10. Set up at Point Lobos near Santa Cruz. Honestly thought it would be a disaster but:

Everyone slept in their sleeping bags
Made s'mores without anyone falling in the fire
Only one kid got stung by a bee (minor, they're fine)
Made it back without any major arguments

Tbh the highlight was my 10yo daughter helping me navigate the trail. She had the map and was actually useful lol. Would definitely do this again.

5 comments410 views

Comments(5)

FFrank D.Regular15h ago

The fact that nobody fell in the fire deserves its own trophy lol. How'd you manage keeping them entertained at night without screens?

CChris F.Regular1d ago

s'mores without incident is the real victory here. I let my 7yo hold the stick unsupervised for like 30 seconds and nearly had a heart attack. Props for the chill approach.

LLuke N.Regular21h ago

Point Lobos is gorgeous - nice choice for first solo trip. The bee sting thing is always terrifying in the moment but sounds like you handled it well. How old was the kid who got stung?

HHugh S.Regularjust now

My wife always acts shocked when I survive a solo weekend with our kids like I just summited Everest. It's literally just not letting them die, but okay 😂

CCarl W.Regularjust now

Dude this is legit impressive. Solo with a 4yo is next level - they're the unpredictable variable. Did you have to deal with any middle-of-the-night wake-ups or was everyone actually sleeping through?