Would You Do It For Your Children?
Vote Yes for the Children! Election time is always an interesting time as you learn your neighbors preferences for what they are voting for by the sign(s) in their yard. We are currently coming upon the time our small community votes for school board members and other town elected offices. One sign has been bothering me around town and I have even seen it as a magnet on cars. The sign reads, “Vote Yes for our Children!” Sounds like something to get behind and say yes I will vote yes for our children for sure no question. Who would say no to their children, right? Children are our future. Well if children are our future why do we to often treat them like they have no future. Why do I say this? When was the last time you stopped and actually listened to your son or daughter and asked deeper questions? When was the last time you played with him or her? When was the last time you ate together as a family? Remember children are our future and we need them to believe it by how we live!
More...
1.) Would you use your vacation time from work for your children?
Most jobs if not all give a set number of vacation days for the year. How are those days used? Are they used solely for the one who is working for the days off? Or instead, are those precious vacation days used to intentionally bring the family together? What if you started planning every year to use a couple of those days to go on a camping trip? Just last night I was reflecting on my relationship with my dad growing up. I finally realized one reason why I loved our camping trips so much, is because I was with my dad. You see at home dad always had something to do, somewhere to go or something to fix and I usually was never apart of that equation. But camping I/the family was his agenda and we were together. My dad would do the “stay cation” but we were still at home and home was filled with other things to do than be with me. I wanted my dad’s attention and vacation was the one time I would get it. How do you use your vacation? Would you be willing to use it for your children every year camping? I am afraid to tell you but if you start camping as a family you will soon learn you need more vacation days to camp!
2.) Would You Miss Out on an Event for Your Children?
A couple weeks ago we met a family and were talking about camping. They were all excited to camp but weren’t sure if it would work? They said their summer was already planned with sporting events and drama camps and various other workshops and clinics they had no time. We then asked what about the weekends? They answered and said the weekends were just as full and if it wasn’t they were so exhausted from all the activities of the week that they didn’t have any energy to go camping. Yes we understand the tensions and full schedules. But we also understand we only have our children living in our home for a short time period. Busyness will always be with us but not our children at home. I had a brother in high school sports and another brother in junior high and a sister involved in everything when we took five weeks one summer and drove to Alaska from Indiana. Did my brothers and sisters miss some activities? Yes and no. What they gained I would argue was far greater than what was missed. If we could show you that family camping will make more of an impact on your child than an event would you choose camping?
3.) Would You Leave Your Comfort and Do it for Your Children?
Now I am going to get in trouble here as one might argue camping is comfort. But in reality camping is work! Many struggle with camping for a variety of reasons, but one main reason is that they have never done it before. Rightfully so, anything that's new may be challenging the first time. Our goal is to make your first time camping as “easy” and “normal” and fun as possible. I was at a conference a while back for men and boys. During a break I turned and asked the three brothers behind me if they had ever been camping. Wow their eyes looked like I was going to give them $50. They said no we haven’t camped as a family but we would love to, we just can’t convince mom and dad to go. Ouch! Are you willing to leave your comfort as a parent and camp?
Is there a sign in your front yard, “Vote Yes for Our Students!” Is that sign in your heart and hands or does it just stay in your mind because it sounds good. The sign bothers me so because I believe for too many “Vote Yes for Our Students” is simply a phrase and not a reality. Am I willing as a parent to use “my” vacation, miss “the event,” and sacrifice “my” comfort for my children? We need a few good parents who will sacrifice more of themselves and take the family camping.
