Summer. It’s time to relax, reconnect with friends, and revel in the all-too-brief warm weather. As a homeschooling mom, it’s an opportunity to break from the intensity of the academics and focus on my relationships with my children. Yes, I know that I should be working on those relationships all year round, but it’s so much easier when I don’t have to ask/cajole/bribe/force my kids to do their math and practice their piano.
Summer is also a season to reflect on the past year and plan for the new year. We normally engage in this important activity while at our annual Family Camp. Every August, we get into our trusty old van and drive 8 hours to a retreat center in Quebec. There we spend a delightful week in fun and fellowship with 10 other families.
I believe that the original vision of Family Camp was to offer large families an affordable vacation, to be spent in community, leisure and prayer. While families of all sizes are welcome to attend, it continues to be affordable; we pay a flat fee for the all-inclusive week which includes a cabin for each family and cooked meals. That’s right – cooked meals!! This is what makes it a true holiday for me. Once a year, I don’t have to worry about feeding my family. How amazing is that?
Family camp is so much more than delicious meals. The week offers a combination of structured and unstructured activities, all aimed at relaxation, recreation and revitalization. There are morning runs; parent meetings; lounging, swimming and canoeing at the lake; moms’ and dads’ nights out; a nightly campfire; soccer matches; ; a sandcastle contest and water balloon fights. While there is nothing luxurious about it, Family Camp feels like a mini paradise. The lake is ahhhh…so refreshing. There’s nothing more soothing to me than closing my eyes to hear the lapping of water on the sand.
Here are the reasons why we love Family Camp so much:
Spiritual renewal
Our spiritual renewal is a vital component of Family Camp. We are nourished spiritually through the daily prayers and, as this is a Catholic camp, the celebration of the Sacraments. We are blessed to have access to a chapel where we can go for quiet prayer and meditation at any time. Best of all, we always have a priest who stays with us during the week. Therefore we enjoy daily Mass, Confession, and Adoration. We pray the Rosary by the campfire and we encourage the children to offer intentions and lead a decade. This is followed by an examination of conscience. Through these acts of faith, our children witness how our faith can and should influence all areas of our lives, including leisure time.
Time to unplug
Given that most of us live crazy busy, hectic lives, getting away from it all is very beneficial to our mental health. At Family Camp we unplug, literally and figuratively. No electronics are allowed for the kids and phone use is kept to a minimum for the adults. The fact that cell reception sucks at the site is an attractive feature. After a day or so, I realize just how much we all rely on technology during the year, and how much anxiety it gives us. This week allows us to reset our systems and practice the act of being present.
Parent-to-parent encouragement
We spend quality time with like-minded friends, learning from one another and supporting each other in our vocation as spouses and parents. Every morning, the parents gather for an informal discussion about a chosen topic. The first discussion is always about marriage, to remind us that marriage is at the core of our family project. Then, the sky is the limit as to what we discuss. Past topics have included work/life balance, finances, education, faith, leisure time, irrational toddlers and teenagers, current events, sex ed, in-laws, etc. Believe me, there is never a lack of things to hash out. We love that we can share our experiences, ask our burning questions and take comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone.
Living in community
In order for the week to run smoothly, everyone helps with chores and the running of activities. Just like at home, there is serving, cleaning, and laundry to be done. Certain parents are in charge of certain chores and activities, and children are encouraged to assist. After every meal, families take turns cleaning up – clearing tables, washing and drying dishes, and sweeping floors. Washing dishes is my favorite chore, as there are always 3 or 4 people engaged in animated conversation. It almost makes me want to get rid of my dishwasher to replicate the experience at home. Almost.
This is a wonderful opportunity to engage the spirit goodwill and service, and offer our time, efforts and talents for the good of others. Children see the example of others around them and often rise to the occasion. I just love seeing the older kids care for and play with the younger kids. Over the years we have seen those younger kids grow up and care for the next generation of little ones. It is a sight to warm the heart.
Kids are free to be kids
We have been going to Family Camp since our oldest boys were 4 and 2 years old. Now these boys are 12 and 10 and they have so many friends at camp. Every year, as soon arrive at camp, we remind our kids that they have to help us unload the van BEFORE they run off to meet their friends and we pretty much lose them for the rest of the week. They have a freedom that they never get anywhere else. Given that there are approximately 60 children at camp in any given year, it’s unbelievable how little misbehavior is witnessed. Fresh air, good food and friends. The perfect recipe for happy kids.
Time to reflect on our family vision
For us, Family Camp is an edifying experience where we affirm our mission as a Christian family. Sometimes in the day-to-day craziness , it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. So, at least once a year, we need to remove ourselves from our lives to recommit to our lives – our spouses, our children, and our community. After camp we always have one or two (small) resolutions to implement in the coming year. Past resolutions have included making time for personal prayer and family prayer, be intentional in our time together, and my personal favorite, yelling less at the children.
Faith, family and friends. To me, this is what life is all about, and it all comes together at Family Camp. In Ontario and Quebec, family camps are really taking off and families can now choose from a number of camps available throughout the summer. If you don’t have such an opportunity available in your area, I highly encourage you to consider starting one. It takes finding a camp site or a retreat center that would be willing to rent you space for the week, the hiring of cooking staff, and design a schedule of activities which serve to replenish the spirits of families. You can start with a small number of families and expand as needed.
If you are part of something similar to a family camp or retreat, please share in the comments. I’d love to know what others families do!
We do something very similar, and in fact I think our camp is related, in a Lamarckist fashion, to the one you attend. We also have daily Mass, campfire with rosary, unplugged electronics, and so forth. We’ve done this for 3 or 4 years now with mostly the same group of people, so we have got to know the other families, and the kids get to know one another too. It has been great.
You describe very well what makes this kind of camp so worthwhile. I particularly like how the children are able to pretty much play without being organized or even (sometimes) supervised by an adult. It’s good for them, and good for the parents!
I know of another similar camp that started up last year in the Toronto area, so, as you say, the idea seems to be spreading. I’m not surprised.
I’m ever so grateful to the family who introduced us to Family Camp. It’s now the highlight of our year!