Camping Question

let him read this forum! Be honest with him, & then go (happily) without him if HE CHOSES to stay home.

Life & marriage should be as simple & as honest as that.

not wrong, but too bad he wont go!!! he is missing out, but you know what take lots of photos and have a great time then when you show them to the hubbie he might feel left out and want to join you next time! oh and actually thinking about it, it is not a bad thing to leave him home really bc it is good to have mommy time and daddy time w/ the kids. If I dont enjoy something then I will just let that be a daddy thing bc that is super important too! You could look at it that way. I mean when my DD is older I cant wait to do spa days w/ her and you better belive that dad wont go.......except I know he will let her paint his nails and do his hair at home LOL, that is what a great dad does and he does it for his neice LOL. good luck, have fun you wont regret it! xo

I'd tell him I want to take the kids camping and invite him along. I wouldn't let it stop me if he didn't want to. After I got divorced from an avid camper I took my kids several times (boys, 8 and 11 at the youngest). We had an awesome time! I always keep a camping list to help me not forget anything! Hope you have a great time!

Sure it would be appropriate. If he doesn't want to go, then don't force him. It's okay to not be tied together at the hip every waking moment that you're not both at work. Maybe it'd be good for him to have a little time to himself to ruminate on the reasons why it's important to make concessions in a marriage and family and why it's important to try new things, especially when you have kids! lol! It's certainly not going to hurt anything. When the kids come back with fabulous stories about what a fantastic time they had, he might change his mind about the next trip. :) If not, oh well, make a tradition of a mom camping weekend where only moms take the kids camping. That could be fun!

OK, I haven't been camping without hubby, but we have been on overnight "vacations" without my hubby. Every spring break I plan a munchkin and mommy trip and we have a blast! My girlfriends think that I am insane and my mom thinks it is because I am mad at my hubby, but honestly it is simply the fact that it is nice to spend time alone with the kiddo. AND it is nice to remind yourself that you don't "need" a man. :)

Ease yourself in and have a great time!

My dad only came camping with us once. And he brought a cot WITH a mattress to go on top of it, and an 85lb satellite phone (that dates this trip, doesn't it?), and about 5 times as much "stuff" as all the rest of us just for himself. If he could have brought a pavilion complete with carpets, he would have. We had fun on that trip, but it really was the ONLY one he went on, and we camped dozens of times. At least 5-10 times a year.

His point was that he joined the navy instead of the army so he'd never have to sleep in a tent. Also... that if he was going to be uncomfortable, he'd better be being paid to do so.

We had a blast with our mum our whole childhood, and he had a blast having a relaxing weekend to week at home.

Oh please don't give up camping because hubby is not interested! You and your children will have great experiences together! There is nothing as bountiful as nature. If he doesn't appreciate the wonderment of nature, that is no reason to deprive yourself or your children of the opportunity to enjoy it!!

There are so many modern conveniences in outdoor clothing, food, and equipment these days, the inconveniences of not being at home is hardly noticable.

Why should you and your kids miss out because he's a party pooper? Tell him the date you are going and leave it at that. When you start to pack, ask him if he's coming. If he says no, then just go without him. The kids will come home with all kinds of stories - he might decide to go the next time.
My Mr. had never been camping when friends asked us if we'd like to go. He was nervous, but he managed. That said, I do it all - set up the tent and eating shelter, pack the car, shop for the groceries, etc. We have great equipment and a few extra goodies, like a camp kitchen that houses all of our camp cooking supplies. It makes it a whole lot easier!
He always has fun and I make sure that it's an easy trip for him.
YMMV
LBC

I think getting together with other families & Friends for a campout is great, include your husband, and give him the opportunity to feel involved. Let him know that if it really bothers him and he doesn't want to go, you and the kids can still go. Discuss it...But at least include him in the begining.

Be sure to invite him every single time, and I don't see a problem doing this a couple of times a year. He might find that the inconveniences and annoyances he anticipates are worth dealing with after hearing the kids rave about how much fun it was, and decide to come along the next time.

Take pictures. Share them with him... heck... send him a couple of PIX/TXTs while you are camping!

Offer to bring something special for him... his fav cookies or something.
It is hard, I know. Sometimes I think if my hubby would lighten up he would enjoy the chaos of such things a little more. Sometimes I am the one that needs to lighten up, too. So I understand both sides. Maybe he just can't stomach the thought of sleeping on the hard ground... so invest in a nice raised air mattress/bed. It would be worth it, right?

I know many friends that go camping without husbands. They have a blast.

There are some spouses that cannot get off from work, so their families end up going places without one parent or the other all of the time..

Just be sure to always remind him he is invited, every time..

Invite him but even if he says no go anyway. My mom was our Girl Scout leader for years and always went camping with us a few times a year--no boys allowed! I would ease into it by going someplace with running water though.

If you plan ahead and explain how important it is to all of you, how good it is for everyone, and how much you miss it, you could make sure he knows he is welcome to come but that you are comfortable going if he wants to stay home. He could plan to do something on his own with friends and might not feel upset. It is definitely important for your kids to have the opportunity to do this with you. I treasure all of our camping and hiking and hunting and fishing memories. Thankfully, both of my parents liked most of that but we did trips with just one or the other sometimes. My husband hates hiking but thankfully likes fishing and does enjoy strolling in parks. I desperately miss backpacking for days on end and don't think I'll ever get my husband to do that with me, but I intend to take my boys backpacking when they are older even if he doesn't want to join us. :)

Not everyone is in to camping. There's nothing wrong with that. I use to love it in my younger days but I like a bit more comfort now that I'm older (like a soft bed and a real toilet). I could do a cabin, but I couldn't do a tent anymore. Give your husband an option to try it once just to see what it's like, but if he says no, then that shouldn't stop you the kids from going without him. There might be things he likes to do with the kids that you don't enjoy, so he can do those activities without you.

oh honey...GO FOR IT!!! my family are campers. i grew up caming. i met a non-camper and married him. this past weekend, my family did a mass camp for memorial day, and it ended up myself, my three year old, and my aunt, whose husband also does not camp, in a tent. it was AWESOME! if the guys are going to be party poopers and make people miserable if they are forced to go, LEAVE them HOME and go have a blast. your kids will LOVE IT and you know what, it will be something special between you and them. do it do it do it! you won't regret it. give hubby the choice and tell him if he'd like to go, you'd love to have him. but if not, that's fine too. you don't want any unwilling participants who might dampen the fun. have a great time!

I'm coming at this from the other side, I'm not an outdoors person. I get cranky, it's just not pretty. Though I will take my son to the park and I do 100X more than before I had him, it's just not my thing. I though don't want him to miss out on something he could really enjoy and told my husband to go ahead and plan something, and we will just schedule over a weekend I have to work anyway, so I'm not missing double the time with him. Your husband might not mind and to be completely honest after he came back from a hike with his dad all excited, I have gone on several of those adventures because I didn't like being left out, I was even way less cranky than when my husband tried to take me with no kids. You may find he doesn't want to miss out and if he does, hopefully he'll see it's good for the kids and support you doing that. It would be a good time to get some work and/or projects done with the kids out of the way. Have fun!!

Sure make your plans-now be sure to invite him to join yu-if only for the day and then if he wants to go home he can do so-or if he should decide to stay remind him to bring his "gear". Remember you will be doing everything yourself as well as watching your kids-if that works for you go and have fun! He could always come for the day activities and see what all the fun is but if not it is his lose-after all you and all your friends will still do the fun stuff outside that you want to do. After you come home then you can compare notes on your fun times.

I don't think it would be wrong for you to go without your grumpy husband :)...if your kids enjoy it then you should go. Can you ask him and see if he's ok with your friends it? I'm in the same situation. I just got married about 1 1/2 weeks ago and he is not an outdoor type either. I used to go camping every year with my sister and my nephew but she doesn't want to go anymore so I was hoping that he would go with me. He said he would but he doesn't really want to. I asked him if he'd go if we rented a cabin. He said he would. Would that possibly be an option?

We go civilized camping in great tents where there are showers and bathrooms. We go to carpenteria SB in california. So beautiful. We started put just going w/ moms and kids, no dads cuz they couldn't get the time off. We began staying at the local motel 6 (thats ruffin' right?). As we got older we branched out and started camping and some of dads started joining us. When I was preggo I opted to stay the night at the hotel but We did all the activities at the campsite. Maybe your hubby could do that to hopefully transition. If not go w/o him.

I would plan something without him. Let him know of course. So he has the option to go. But let him know he doesn't have to. I don't see anything wrong with it. No reason you and the kiddos should miss out just because he doesn't like it.

My husband and I have both traveled separately, mainly to Guatemala! It's perfectly ok, just talk it over with him first. Mine will often take our boys out for a weekend at the lake, even though I love to camp, there are times when I just don't feel like going. Tell him gently that your friends are planning a trip and have invited you and the kids along and that you really want to go! Tell him you'd love for him to come too, but that if he doesn't want to, that he can enjoy a nice quiet weekend all to himself, or maybe plan something with his guy friends for the same time. Good luck and have fun!!!

I have done it more than once, I let the kids invite their friends and we go set up the tents and camp. Of course we have 3 lakes to camp at with-in a one hour drive and hubby can come out if he wants even if it's just for dinner. I love tent camping and my husband said no more camping for him until we get a camper. So I just go when the kids and I want.

Here is an article that might help persuade him that camping would be fun and great for the kids and family to do together.

http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/535

it would be fine to go if he dosent want to do it. my cousin goes camping with her 2 boys and the husband stays home. he's not the outdoor type of guy and she dosent push the issue. she has been going camping for probably about 10 years now and she enjoys the time. so go camping and enjoy the time and have fun making memories with the kids.