Teen Camping Adventures: Build Resilience Today!
Laurie Moser . Published October 20th, 2024
Source: unsplash
Bears, teens and camping!
My son went backcountry camping last weekend with three friends. He's 17 years old and this was his first time backcountry camping with his friends and no adults. It's legal where we live to do this. ( I think we were secretly hoping he had to be 18)
My husband and I had a few basic safety rules for him but otherwise this was his trip to plan!
He had to be in a group of four for safety. Bears don't attack groups of four or more. All the boys needed bear spray. This is the most active time for bears because they want to get enough food before they go into hibernation. Their campsite was in an active bear area. He had a GPS tracker for emergencies and had to check in with us when he got to his campsite and new locations.
The rest of the stuff he completely organized on his own.
Here's what my son taught me:
He's so much more capable than I think he is.
Teenage boys can carry a lot of stuff and eat a lot of food.🌭
He was responsible. They put out a fire of another group of campers that had not completely put out their 🔥 , a big NO NO!
He got ALL the required food, water, camping gear and they all organized it between themselves.
He used his GPS to check in for safety.
They had so much fun and want to do this again.
What an amazing way for a group of teenage boys to learn about responsibility, capability, resiliency and connection with nature and each other.
I learned that our kids are so much more capable than we think they are. Even our teens that are struggling with mental health challenges.
I will be there to support, guide and help him when needed.
At the same time, he's capable of doing so much on his own and doesn't need my advice, solutions or help to fix everything!
I thought he might tell me that he didn't bring enough warm clothes or food but he didn't. He either brought enough of everything or figured out what he needs for next time.
This week I'm challenging myself to let my teens do more stuff by themselves and I'm trying something new to challenge myself. I'm doing a new yoga class this week. Nothing big but something new!
What about you❓
Thanks for reading friends,
Laurie 🌸
Staying Active Health & Wellness
P.S. 🌟Join my private FB group: Moms Supporting Teen Mental Health Together, let's support each other and share resources, tips and strategies that have worked for you or learn about what's helping others in similar situations.💗
LAURIE MOSER
Laurie Moser is an advocate for moms’ mental health. Supporting moms who have teens with mental health challenges to feel calm & create an unshakeable bond with their teen no matter what’s going on in their lives. Laurie has been featured by Focus on the Family, Real Biz Moms, Tracking Happiness and a guest on 5 Minutes for Me App, Voice of Women (VOW), I Never Knew (INK), Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, The Teen Anxiety Maze, Life Changing Habits Summit, Ment2BeWell Global Virtual Summit and Host of the Tools for Moms With Teen Summit.
