An Ordinary Mom's Musings

I LOVE camping. I love the smell of a wood fire. It is one of my favorite smells.

Add roasted marshmallows to it and I am one happy person! I love sleeping in a tent, and the unique smells and sounds that you can experience there. It’s something of an adventure and I’ve always loved adventures.

However, I have discovered I HATE camping as a Mom!
Our first camping trip with kids, my husband had just returned from Iraq and we had an infant and toddler. We went camping for a couple nights with a couple other families. I feel like I should apologize for this to them still. Probably this was a manifestation of his Autism that we wouldn’t know about for many years yet, but D screamed and cried literally the entire night. I’m pretty sure he kept the entire campground up. The second night I “slept” with him in the car so it would muffle the sound of his screams. We did not go camping for several years after that as the memory was too awful we didn’t want to repeat it.
Later we moved to AK and took the kids camping as we went dip netting for salmon in the river. The first year was pretty much awful. It rained most of the time, we caught 2 (?) fish. We were just starting to figure out D had some differences. Sensory issues with sand everywhere- not a good combination. Low muscle tone with a beach full of sand- not a good combination. Again there was lots of screaming and crying on this trip.
For some strange reason, we decided to go back the next year to fish and camp again. I don’t know what we were thinking. But I’m glad we did as those were the only sunny days that entire summer and it was glorious. We had spent the previous year with him in physical therapy and occupational therapy which really helped with his issues being on a sandy beach. It was SO much better! We still had to deal with the change in routine, scenery, and food with D, but this one was survivable.

We have yet to go truly camping again. Honestly, due to D’s daily need for a toilet due to his cecostomy, I don’t know if we ever will. There are times and seasons for things. Maybe my season for camping and campfires will be when my kids have grown and left home. Waiting for my campfires…

*This post contains an affiliate link from which I may receive compensation.