a good thing since technology is one of the biggest distractions to being together . Once the kids realize that there ’ s no opportunity to text or go online , and you can ’ t access your work e-mail , you start to focus on enjoying each other ’ s company .
Family camp is a great way to strengthen your bonds not just with your own immediate family but also with your extended family - grandparents , uncles and aunts , and cousins . Plan your family vacation together as a group . Think about the best time for all of your to go away , talk about the kinds of activities that you all would enjoy , and then look for a family camp that you can all afford and get to without too much trouble .
If it ’ s not possible to get your extended family to join you , family camp is a great way to meet and develop relationships with like-minded parents . Although many of the activities are geared towards the whole family , there are times when you can engage in more adult activities with other parents , like enjoying a glass of wine together .
Most parents are used to their kids coming back from summer camp telling them about all the exciting things they did , funny things that happened , and wonderful friends they made . Wouldn ’ t it be great if this summer you made all those memories together instead of just hearing about them after the fact ?
The American Camp Association ’ s “ Find a Camp ” database ( see http :// find . acacamps . org /) lists more than 300 family camps , of which
230 are ACA-accredited . I ’ m sure you ’ ll find one that ’ s just right for your family .
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