Dad, Skittles, Cheerio Nation and the Mountain - A Weekend to Remember

Searching for salamanders at Cheerio

Skittles (my oldest daughter) and I hit the road this past weekend for our bi-annual Father/Daughter weekend in the Mountains. We are fortunate to be a part of the YMCA Indian Guides/Indian Princesses program. The entire program is centered around the motive of kids having quality time with their father away from the daily routines we have at home.

We head up the mountain to Roaring Gap, the home of Camp Cheerio. I set up the tent that we will call home for the next two nights while she gets dragged away by her friends for some free play in the woods.

We are all part of Cheerio Nation and separated into tribes. So, our tribe, Comanche, has about 20-25 Dads with their daughter(s) ages 5 to 14. The majority of the time is spent one on one with our daughters, but we do eat meals as a group and we have a big "Fire and Water" ceremony Saturday night for all of the tribes together.

There are some really special memories made over this weekend. Through my experiences, I observed some things that really stuck out to me. They are not specific to my weekend and can be applied to any father/daughter or mother/daughter scenario. So, I thought I would share some of those important ones that really enhanced my experience with my daughter.

• Let her lead. We did everything she wanted to do. We went canoeing, we hiked, we fed the horses (she did not want to ride them), we hit he waterslide into the lake and we walked through the creek searching out salamanders and crawfish. Man that water was cold! I was completely at her command and it was awesome.

• Let her explore. This was the hardest thing for me to do at first, but during the time we were together as a group I let her go with her friends to free play. At Camp Cheerio, it is a somewhat controlled setting that allows kids to roam to a certain degree. We don't really have these types of settings on hand at home. I let her follow her friends and older kids as a group while they explored the woods, played ball games and had talent shows. I wish I could bottle the laughter and energy that this group possessed. 

• Listen to her. This was one of those unique times where cell phones, TV and computers are not present. Conversation is at a premium. Take advantage. Skittles, being in the youngest age group was asleep in the tent earlier than most of the older kids and I made it a point to hang around the tent while she is sleeping. I noticed my tent neighbor hanging out at his tent as well. He had his 3 daughters with him and they were all just hanging out. The strength of their relationship was radiating from them. He really listened to them and in turn, they listened to him. 

• Talk to her. I really made sure to tell her every chance I could why we were there. "I love you and I want to spend time with you". This will never change and I know that she will grow to appreciate these times we have together (maybe not so much during the teenage years, but a Dad can hope).

Next year, my youngest daughter, The Doobs, will be old enough to join us in the program. I cannot wait to share this experience with her as well.

A little about Camp Cheerio...

Camp Cheerio offers summer residential camping for children ages 7-15. During the five weeks of girls camp or the five weeks of co-ed camp, Cheerio offers campers the chance to participate in over 35 different activities that help them explore and develop their potential and their lives as young Christians in an environment that is safe and supportive.

For the more adventurous spirits, Cheerio Adventures offers a more extreme outdoor experience.

I was a Cheerio camper in the early 80's and all of my siblings as well. I am fortunate to sit on the Cheerio Board of Advisors as an adult.