Today's post in our series about RVing with children comes from Kara Lynn Becker of JoKars Wild. Since she lives in a trailer with her husband and eight children, she knows all about the joys of RVing with children.
My family and I moved into a 29 foot travel trailer with 8 kids last May. Yeah, I know… crazy! But we have loved it. We are now in a stick house for a season, but we long to be on the road again. While it wasn’t always easy, there are so many benefits to RVing with kids! Whether you live full-time, are vacationing, or bringing your grandkids along for the adventure, you, too, can reap the rewards of RVing with children.
Do you have an aloof teen that has long stopped snuggling with you on the couch? Get a good rainy day stuck in the RV, and try watching a movie on a little TV screen. With only a 3 person couch, pretty soon even the “coolest” teen will be snuggled up at your feet.
Do you find that even if you rent a house for a vacation, or even on your weekends, you spend all your time doing housework and not much relaxing? It takes literally minutes to clean an RV from head to toe and even less if you have those little ones help you. Also the kids come in handy for reaching into those nooks and crannies so common in RVs.
Maybe you aren’t feeling as agile as you used to. Try filling up your RV with sleeping children and teens sprawled out on the floor, and then walk from one end to the other to get your morning coffee while not stepping on them. If you want to enjoy the peaceful quiet of the morning, you will quickly become quite adept at anticipating their movements and leaping over their limbs.
Do you feel like you have to spend days upon days planning your wardrobe when staying at hotels? With an RV, it is easy to keep clothes stored in there all the time, so all you need to do is grab a few things and go. And did you know that while camping, it is perfectly acceptable to wear the same jeans two days in a row? Standard camping attire is just jeans/shorts and a tee-shirt. Grab a sweat shirt and your set to go. Don’t sweat it though!
Do you long to run in the ocean waves, roast marshmallows in the fire, or sing silly campfire songs? Without kids you feel a little silly making s’mores or digging giant holes in the sand. Do you want to go on the bumper cars or ride the carousel? Take those kids along. No one will even bat an eye! With kids you can eat the most marshmallows, sing the loudest, or crash into 5-year-olds with bumper cars! And nobody thinks your weird…well, except your own kids.
After living in Ohio for ten years our kids never had the opportunity to see the ocean in real life. They based their impressions of the ocean off of movies and books. My daughter had developed a fear of the ocean since she believed it was teeming with fish waiting to nibble on her toes. With our travels, we were able to take our kids to see the ocean for the first time. What a joyful experience!
We have also given them a greater understanding of the States and geography. They have seen monuments and read plaques. History is coming alive for them! They have also learned to read signs and maps. See what new places you can discover and history you can learn with your kids.
With our crazy lives and schedules, it can leave no time for family time. My eldest daughter said to me one day, “It has been forever since I’ve been really home. I feel like home is just a hotel…eat and then sleep.” RVing with children forces you to spend time together whether they or you like it or not. And after the initial shock of the close quarters, I think you will definitely like it. Take the time to invest in relationships with your kids or grandkids. Really listen to them. Find out what they like and don’t like. Explore your world with kids, and you will soon be rewarded with the joys of RVing with kids!
Kara Lynn Becker
Kara Lynn Becker aka Mama K is the mother of 8 kids, and the wife to one extraordinary husband, Papa Joe. Her oldest child is 16 and her youngest will soon be a year old. All together they call themselves, JoKars Wild.
Over two years ago, her husband lost his job. This has sent the family on a tail spinning adventure. While losing their home, they had to figure out how to have a home for 10 people that cost little to no money. After much research, they decided to buy a 29 foot travel trailer to live and play in together. Recently someone has blessed them with a free house to live in, but the trailer is still considered home. Kara has taken to writing about the family’s trials and adventures on the family’s blog, JoKars Wild.
Join Mama K as she writes about JoKars Wild while continuing to homeschool four boys and four girls. It’s an adventure based on faith and love, but most of all a commitment of being in relationship with one another.
