What's changed about camping?
The family and I just completed our three week road trip and I've been reflecting about the past and future of our adventures. I know as adults we always idealize our past but it seems to me that the ...
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If I'm being honest, the electronic devices our teenagers were on was a significant detractor from the overall experience of the trip in my opinion. I had multiple conversations with the wife about it (born in the city) where I was ready to throw the things away. I seemed to lose the arguments even though I pointed out that there was nothing but garbage on those screens compared to the beauty of God's creation.
It isn't that I don't get the boredom of driving on a 23 day road trip and certainly there are areas (eastern Washington for example) where there just isn't much to see. Those times I'm okay with them having a device. The problem though is that when you do take the devices away, it's like taking crack from an addict. I do literally believe they are addicted to the things in the same brain chemical way as drugs. We end up with moody teenagers that just complain there is nothing to do and then sit inside the camper with us being surely.
For our newborn twin daughters, I have put my foot down and said no electronic devices for them. Not going through this experience again. What could and shuold have been an epic bonding experience for our blended family on this road trip turned into everyone in their walled garden as they stared at their screens while I drove 3400 miles. Not doing it again!
It isn't that I don't get the boredom of driving on a 23 day road trip and certainly there are areas (eastern Washington for example) where there just isn't much to see. Those times I'm okay with them having a device. The problem though is that when you do take the devices away, it's like taking crack from an addict. I do literally believe they are addicted to the things in the same brain chemical way as drugs. We end up with moody teenagers that just complain there is nothing to do and then sit inside the camper with us being surely.
For our newborn twin daughters, I have put my foot down and said no electronic devices for them. Not going through this experience again. What could and shuold have been an epic bonding experience for our blended family on this road trip turned into everyone in their walled garden as they stared at their screens while I drove 3400 miles. Not doing it again!
