Camping with a Baby (This tip will help you relax)

Is camping with a baby worth all of the effort or should we just wait until our baby is older?  This was the weekly camping question that I will be providing an answer to shortly.  But first, let me tell you a quick story about our last camping trip that will help clarify where I am going with this weeks camping tip.

Camping with a Baby

The weekly question and tip of the week from the field.

The Difficult Days

We were planning our second big camping trip for the summer with our two kids.  The group included myself, Megan, our Toddler Juna, and our new baby Alia who is 3 months old.  Our first trip didn’t go very well as we planned it on a weekend where the temperatures were over 100 degrees.  Because we had a 3 month old baby we couldn’t afford to battle the heat so we headed home and cut the trip short.

The second trip had much milder camping temperatures that included fair skies.  Camping still was not easy for the first few days.  Our toddler was wild and we were challenged to find time to relax.  But, after changing camp twice, we ended up finding a great spot by day three.

Bonus tip: don’t change camp multiple times even if it looks like the perfect spot is just next door.  Here are a few other camping tips from the Art of manliness.

The Good GooGoo

It took us 3 days to get to that spot where we felt like we could stay out there for a week or longer.  We knew what to do when we got up in the morning for the kids, what to do during the day, and when bed time was.

Take a quick look at this link to find some activities to keep the kids having fun.

The kids kind of found their natural rythm out there and it was awesome.  Although these were the most enjoyable days of the trip, we were on the latter half now and the prospect of packing up.

I know that getting time off is difficult, but if you can add on an extra day or whatever time you have at the end of the trip.  You will substantially increase that feeling of relaxation when you don’t have to rush.  More information on this idea can be found under #7 at on this article.

The quick Tip

Don’t freak out early in the trip when things may be going crazy with the kids.  It’s ok to feel challenged and to wonder if you are up to the camping challenge with young kids.  The key is to give it some time and you will find your groove.  That is the tip of the week.  Very simple and sweet.  Just remember to relax and be confident that the trip will get easier as you find your groove.

Nature is amazingly calm but you are coming from a crazy environment in the city.  The transition takes time so be confident and relax.  Take a look at these great tips as well from adventurousparents.com on how to manage babies and toddlers.

Conclusion

So, the answer to the question of whether you should bring young children camping is yes.   The tip of the week is to relax early on if things are going crazy.  The kids, you and all of the natural energy takes a little time to come together as one beautiful experience.  You will be there, it just takes a little work and a little time.

I would love if you could share your most relevant experience camping with a baby.  Leave a quick comment below of your favorite tip that helped you last time you were camping with the kids.