It seems to be a rite of passage for those in Grade 7 to go on a class camping trip.  I did it when I was younger.  Our oldest daughter did it two years ago. And today our middle child is off to camp for the week.

Taking the children away for a week is like a breath of fresh air for us parents.  So far a minimum of 8 years has been spent taking the kids to school.  Add two more to that for us since we did two years of part time preschool! We have been helping them with homework or friend problems along the way.  This camping adventure is also a way for the teachers to unwind a bit and let the kids prove that they are becoming young adults before entering into middle/high school. There’s probably some teachable moments thrown in…

Of course there will be swimming, hiking, campfires, archery, canoeing, and all the other good times.  Some skills that the kids will enjoy, while other skills will be more life lessons. Mess hall meals and scheduled sleep times will help to keep them in line. All-in-all lots of fun and games with friends and not too many parents.

I’m going to miss our daughter this week.  So it’s a good thing I’ll be sleeping all day long and working through the nights.  I hope she enjoys the trip with her classmates. I remember enjoying mine.  That reminds me- I should probably look at booking our campsite for later this summer before they’re all gone…