Camping trip went sideways but kid says it was the best ever

5d ago1 min read

We got rained out on the second night, tent started leaking, forgot the good sleeping bags, and somehow both kids got poison ivy. My wife was not happy about any of it. But when we got home and my oldest was telling everyone about "surviving in the wilderness" I realized he didn't care about the rain or the ivy. He cared that Dad took him camping and we figured it out together. Guess that's what counts. Planning another trip for next month and doing better prep this time.

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Comments(8)

KKevin M.New Dad3d ago

Haha yeah this is parenting in a nutshell. You go in with all the preparation and the best gear and what matters is you were there together. I love that he called it the best ever anyway. That's a win.

RRonRegular3d ago

See this right here is why I keep camping even though it stresses me out. My kids remember the chaos more than the comfort. Rained out tent somehow becomes a legendary story. What did he like most about it?

RRichardRegular3d ago

This is the stuff that actually matters though. Your kid didn't care about the perfect conditions or the sleeping bags. He got to spend time with his dad fighting through something tough together. That's the memory he'll have forever.

KKyleNew Dad4d ago

The fact that he said it was the best ever tells you everything you need to know. Kids don't need perfect. They need their dad being present and rolling with it. You crushed it even though everything went wrong.

DDerekRegular5d ago

That's the kind of story that sticks with kids. My best memories with my dad involved things going wrong and us just rolling with it. The leaking tent probably made it more of an adventure in his mind. Smart dad move letting him define what makes it the best.

MMarco R.New Dad5d ago

This is gold. Seriously. My kids talk about the camping trip where the tent flooded like it was the greatest adventure ever. Meanwhile I was stressing the whole time thinking it was ruined.

GGreg M.New Dad4d ago

Man I love this. We had a camping disaster last spring too and I was so frustrated but my oldest kept saying how cool the adventure was. Really put it in perspective for me. The best trips are the ones that don't go according to plan.

DDanielRegular4d ago

The fact that he said it was the best ever after everything went wrong tells you everything you need to know. You were present. You were trying. That's what kids remember, not whether the sleeping bags were perfect.