I just survived six days camping with my daughter (7)!

[hemispheres]

This was WAY outside my comfort zone. But besides a deeply terrifying John candy/Chevy Chase grease fire inside a very small RV it was basically the greatest time of my whole life.

She’d recently stopped letting me hold her hand, but all that went out the window as she faced the unknowns of sleeping under the stars up in the mountains. And there was no mama to go to for comfort.

It was great to have just one of my kids with me, too. We ate s’mores, hiked trails, watched whales, and I learned the words to every Kidz Bop song ever released.

I’m sad its over.

 

[steve2010]

@hemispheres Same time, same place, next year… go ahead and put it on the calendar.

You just created a memory she’ll have for the rest of her life!

 

[hemispheres]

@steve2010 This really is the answer.

We got home and she was excited to see Mama, but she wanted me to put her down for bed. She asked me to lay down with her like we did on our trip. And not to leave even after she falls asleep.

 

[karen2010]

@hemispheres Shit man, everything makes me teary since becoming a dad!
Glad you had a great week OP!

 

[childofgod881]

@karen2010 I watched a goofy movie after my son was born and cried a ton. I have never cried to that movie before having a kid. Give it a watch if you want a good cry

 

[navyreb]

@childofgod881 A Goofy Movie is low key one of the best Disney Movies.

 

[joelfix]

@navyreb The songs are still bops

 

[keji]

@childofgod881 We actually produce less testosterone when becoming a dad and they don't bounce all the way back up after.

https://www.nct.org.uk/life-parent/bonding-and-caring-for-your-baby/science-behind-dads

 

[swalker183]

@karen2010 This is one of the unexpected fatherhood things for me lol Since my first daughter was born, I get weepy at the mere mention of something bad happening to children.

News story about kindergarteners in Ukraine having to flee and how one class is trying to stay connected when the kids' families are all over the country and world? Cried.

TV show where a child witnesses something terrible happening like a murder. Cried.

Random TV commercial about children growing up too fast and missing moments? Cried.

 

[elvis2010]

@swalker183 For me it entirely extended past children too. For example, really big larger than life moments (think an entire stadium filled for a concert singing Bohemian Rhapsody during the interval between sets) makes me so emotional now. Maybe I’m just missing that part of my life since having a child though.

Watched a video of this guy who was sitting behind the outfield watching his son play baseball and he hit a home run right to his dad who just caught it with ease and he’s screaming “THATS MY BOY!” Literal tears.

 

[johnmarkf]

@swalker183

This is one of the unexpected fatherhood things for me lol Since my first daughter was born, I get weepy at the mere mention of something bad happening to children.

Lol reminds me of this scene from family guy

 

[gracefaith1]

@hemispheres That’s badass. Daughters are so cool. Every man needs a daughter. When you are young, it’s great to have boys, but as you get older, those girls have a special place in our hearts. Camping, Fishing, working on cars.

 

[margarida]

@hemispheres Wow. Bravo sir. I wish you many many many years of happiness with your girl.

 

[doctordave77]

@steve2010 I'd suggest: same time, different place next year.

When I had an awesome experience like this with my daughter, replaying the same adventure would never live up to the hype of your first trip. We reminisce about that trip constantly, even years later. Going somewhere else will keep that memory very special and will build many more new different adventures.

 

[leigh262]

@doctordave77 Agreed. Chasing the nostalgia of that first time is very challenging

 

[wonderfulgrace]

@hemispheres This'll be one of her most cherished memories for the rest of her life. Me and my dad never had a great relationship but I've always been able to put alot of the bad stuff aside because of a specific camping memory very similar to your own. It's one of my happiest memories as a child just spending time with my dad and my grandad.

Also my dad is terrified of snakes so we waited til he fell asleep and slithered the tube for the air bed pump across his face til he squealed and ran out of the tent ripping the door and leaving us to sleep with an open tent for the rest of the trip. Damn such a good memory.

 

[cyrilmiami]

@hemispheres Honest question. How do I get started camping?

I’ve always wanted to but never got the chance.

Now I have kids and it seems so daunting without all the gear and know how

 

[holyghostparty]

@cyrilmiami Minnesota State Parks has an “I can Camp!” Program for a very small fee where they provide most of the equipment, and a ranger shows you how to do all of the stuff. Your state might do something similar. Otherwise, get a tent that holds twice as many people as you plan to sleep, get some sleeping bags and pads, and go to a state park campground and try things out.

 

[fireman88]

@cyrilmiami Dude buy a tent and camp for the night in the yard with the kids you can learn together and still be near a bathroom lol

 

[kartikalisawati]

@fireman88 This is how we're doing it. It's also easier than buying everything at once.

1: Tent in the backyard with blankets.... then get sleeping bags later on and use them

2: Use a BBQ to cook dinner, rather than go inside. If you have a kind with an offset firebox, you can make smores and stuff in there too.

3: You could go for a "day hike" or something at a local green space, or go to a beach or whatever, then go to the tent at night.

It's great. If the weather holds up, there's a pretty good chance I'm sleeping outside in a tent tonight, actually.