Camping has always been a favorite of families for fun and get together. Times have changed and teenagers go not like camping anymore, there are no computers and internet signals in the woods and sometimes they even lose their cell communication. Modern camp grounds are not like this, of course you need to roughen it up a bit to enjoy camping, but this does not mean you have to be totally isolated from the world.
Summer camping with all the family is a great opportunity to bond and have fun. Even teenagers will go for it if you chose the camp carefully and make sure that they have wireless computer access and that they are within cell phone communication too. This does not mean that the kids will spend the day hooked up to the computers or phones all day. It means that they can feel safe and comfortable because they can still communicate even though they wont be doing it all the time.
It is important that you and your kinds define and set the communication with the outside times so you do not have any confusion later. The idea of the trip is to share with each other outdoor activities and not to go somewhere else to use the phone and computer. Schedules for this must be set and respected, if they are not the trip will end up in failure. Family activities should be agreed upon by all those involved. Canoe rides and swimming or hiking, horseback riding, any activity that involves the whole family must be agreed upon by everybody.
The children will not have fun if they are forced to do something they dont want. Get everybody involved in the planning and preparing of meals, everyone should also have chores to do, collect wood or wash the dishes. Get the family together for at least one hour at night around the campfire and talk to your children, listen to them talk about their friends or what they do or want to do. It may seem stupid to you or worthless to you as an adult, but their worries and problems are very real for them and they need solutions for these problems.
Forget about work and school and all the problems you have at home during thee few days. Concentrate on sharing as much time as possible with your wife and children. Make it a point to have individual activities with each one alone too. This will help you get closer and learn more about each other in a one to one conversation away from the normal environment of home pressure.
Talking and having family fun with teenagers is not easy. You must have patience and you must have a canny instinct to know and feel when it is time to approach them and when not to. Taking them out of their environment for a couple of days is good because they will be relieved of their everyday pressures and stress much in the same way you will also be relieved of these. It will be easier for both of you to communicate and talk about irrelevant stuff. Be patient and follow your instincts, this can be a great bonding experience that will stay with them forever.
A family camping trip is always a way to bring the family closer and to enjoy nature together. Take advantage of the time together and get to know your children better.