I like to believe I’m a fun Mom.
I place much emphasis on play and taking my children out for outdoor fun. On August 24 to 25, we went on a camping adventure at the BSP (Boys Scouts of the Philippines) Capitol Hills South Camp in Barangay Kalunasan.
My objective was to have Nicholas meet Sir Leo Glenn Lao, an outdoor specialist and former Scoutmaster. We’ve been having challenges with Nicholas in school. He loves being a Boy Scout though so I thought meeting a scoutmaster will encourage him to do better as he will have an example in Sir Glenn.
There was a responsible mountaineering course that weekend too with Sir Glenn as the facilitator/lecturer. MC Montebon of MC Outdoors along with Shernan and Leo of a mountaineering group called Laktud were also present.
Nicholas won’t sleep in the tent because he wants to sleep on the stage with groundsheets and sleeping bags laid by the mountaineering experts!
In the morning, we explored the campsite, ate at a carinderia, made some art and sang a lot of songs.
We arrived at the campsite a few minutes before 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 25, and then left around 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 26.
So why is it important for me to take my children out for some outdoor fun?
Fun is not just about gadgets.
We don’t have a television set at home. We don’t want TV to be our children’s babysitter. But these days, tablets and smartphones have dominated the babysitting functions that TV used to do. I’m not going to lie and say that my children do not watch any shows in YouTube or Netflix. How do you think they met Dora the Explorer, PJ Masks and Paw Patrol? But we limit screen time. This is not a walk in the park and there are days that we succumbed to the pressure of having them watch videos on the idiot small rectangles that we possessed. But thankfully, in most days, we have stronger willpower to say “no”. We do not follow the mantra of not saying “no.” My husband would say, “They need Vitamin N.”
Children need to know that gadgets are not the lone items synonymous to fun. This is why we take them out. Outside, they play, they chase chickens, “search” for gold, eat in carinderia, swim, run, get bruised, meet people, ask questions, sleep in tents, hug trees…the list goes on.
They need the fresh air.
It’s unhealthy to just have your children stay indoors all the time. They need the sun and the air. They need to get dirty.
Exposure to gadgets make children live sedentary lives and that is not good at all.
Dr. Parolita Mission, regional nutrition program coordinator of the Philippines’ National Nutrition Council ( NNC) in Central Visayas region, said that children who are exposed to gadgets for more than two hours a day have higher risks of being overweight.
She said three percent of children in Central Visayas are obese and overweight and nutrition officials expect that this is a result of overexposure to gadgets.
Central Visayas covers the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
Obesity can lead to illnesses such as heart diseases and diabetes, not to mention how unfocus our children have become in school because they just prefer to watch the programs they love on screen.
I love the book, “Dirt is Good:The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System”, which is co-written by Professor Jack Gilbert.
Gilbert noted that children should get dirty, eat colorful vegetables and play with animals.
Meeting new people improves their social and communication skills.
The world is full of people with different personalities and temperaments. Our children will meet a lot of them; they already have actually in school, at the supermarket, in playgrounds.
It teaches them to express themselves and adjust in situations where their help may be needed. Meeting new people improved their communication skills. I love seeing my children communicate with other adults, ask questions from adults and vice versa.
Life becomes more interesting when you meet people. It leads to great friendships, fruitful partnerships or rewarding ventures.
We love to give our children those opportunities.
But where do we take them out in Cebu?
On the surface, there are limited options so this is where you, as a parent, need to get creative and strategic. Research and don’t forget to ask questions. (More on this in a separate post)
For our August 2019 outdoor trip, I mentioned we went up to the BSP Capitol Hills South Camp in Barangay Kalunasan.
How to get to the BSP Capitol Hills South Camp?
Taxi drivers know how to reach this area. Make sure you say it’s Boy Scouts campsite and NOT Camp Marina, which is the Girls Scouts’ territory. This was only my second time to be at the BSP campsite; the first time was early last year, January 2019, when I attended a Responsible Mountaineering Course.
There is plenty of water but the restrooms are not well maintained but I always say that the amenities are not posh when you hike and climb mountains here in the Philippines so for the low rates they charge at the campsite, I’m not complaining.
There is a swimming pool here too but call them in advance to check if it’s open. It was close on Sunday when we went there.
Check out the telephone number and email address below:
Watch the video of our camping adventure here:
Have you taken your children camping? How was your experience?
