Bunk Beds, Bad Food, and the Best Memories: Go to Camp!

Go to Camp: Be There, Be Involved, Be Their Biggest Influence

There’s something special about camp. Whether it’s 4-H camp, church camp, robotics camp, or any other kind of camp, it’s a place where kids step out of their comfort zones, try new things, and make memories that will last a lifetime. But you know what makes it even better? When you, as a parent, are there too.

I know the thought of bunk beds, questionable cafeteria food, and screaming kids may not sound like the ideal getaway, but trust me—it’s worth it. Because when you go to camp with your kids, you’re telling them, what’s important to you is important to me. And that is powerful.

I’ve seen it firsthand with my girls. Savannah is hesitant to try new things, but when I’m there, she pushes herself. Ziplining? That wouldn’t have happened without me standing beside her, encouraging her to take that first step. Cora? She’s already a little daredevil, but when she knows Mom is watching, her confidence soars to a whole new level. Even the most independent kids still want to look over their shoulder and see their mom cheering them on.

And when it comes to church camp? That’s even more important. No one will ever have more influence over my children than I do—because they are mine. God gave them to me, and it is not only my responsibility but my ordination as their mother to be the guide in their spiritual life. I don’t want to hear about their faith journey secondhand—I want to be there, walking alongside them, answering their questions, praying with them, and making sure that they know, without a doubt, that their relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in their lives.

Psalm 127:3-4 (NIV) says:"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth."

This season is a gift and should not be taken for granted. I know that I personally am pulled in a multitude of different directions. There is always something that needs to be done, somewhere I need to be, or someone who needs my attention. But my children will only be this age for a short time. They won’t always need me to come to camp, to be there in the background, to be their biggest cheerleader. One day, they will be grown, and these opportunities will be gone.

So go to camp. Sleep on the terrible mattress, eat the weird camp food, be the goofy mom in the background snapping pictures. Yes, even be the money bags when the snack shack and gift shop open up. Get the sunburn, wear the silly team colors, and cheer louder than anyone else. Let your kids see the parent you were before you had kids—how would you have acted at camp?

At the end of the day, they won’t remember the food or the hard beds. They’ll remember you. They’ll remember that you showed up. And that matters more than anything else.