Goodreads Summary:

Parents today complain of fragmented relationships with their kids. What parents yearn for–and their kids too–is deep, heart-to-heart connections. But how can parents compete with all the other noise fighting for their kids’ attention?

The answer, says Greta Eskridge, is to break free from regular routines and familiar comforts of home to experience new places and adventures–even if those adventures go awry. From simply reading a book together to going on an overnight backpacking trip, activities together provide unique and crucial bonding opportunities. Adventuring Together highlights Greta’s stories of doing just that, including an array of ideas for outdoor and indoor ventures, what to do when your finances are limited,and how to adventure if your family can’t hit the hiking trail or spend the night at a campground.
 Giving readers the tools to make adventures happen, Adventuring Together is a step-by-step guide for parents–whether in the city or the country–to start building connections today that will last a lifetime.

My Thoughts:

This was an excellent read, and I was already so inspired by it!

Eskridge says right off the bat, that this book is for moms who don’t like hiking or camping without an actual bathroom (or in my case, a private bathroom even), bugs, heights – basically, those who don’t THINK they have an adventurous bone in their body. This book is to guide you out of your comfort zone and build heart connections with your child in the process. It doesn’t mean you need to go white water rafting as a family (unless you want to) but a short canoe ride would suffice, if that is where you are at. Or a short hike down a well tended trail in a nature park. Setting up a tent in your backyard and sleeping out. The adventures don’t need to be huge or epic, just adventures with your family, whatever that looks like for you. The important thing is to challenge yourself, challenge your family, try new things together. Then these adventures become lasting memories.

I am sure that we all have these memories. My mom was a single mom and she got out there and did so much with us, way out of her comfort zone most of the time. I remember one summer on a family vacation, we all went canoeing. My mom, aunt, and I were in one canoe, and my little brother went with my uncle and his family. Well, needless to say, my mom, aunt, and I tipped over and went for an impromptu accidental swim! The river was gentle, and not very deep yet my aunt came up holding onto my shirt like I was going to be lost down the river – and I was a teenager who was also on the swim team! We all ended up laughing and this story became one we told over and over again, always laughing as we did so. This is a memory we would never have had, if my mom had not tried and pushed herself to take her children out canoeing even when she was nervous to do it.

Just yesterday I put this into practice, on a very small scale. Not an adventure or anything exciting, but Wyatt and I are working on a France unit of study this month and I decided one of our projects was going to be building an Eiffel Tower out of wafer cookies. Now, I knew that if we waited for Billy to get home to have him lead the construction that the project would turn out perfectly. But I thought, no, I am going to try to do this with Wyatt on my own, and it might not turn out perfect but it would be something we did together, no matter what. And well.. it was the wonkiest version of the Eiffel Tower ever built out of cookies, but Wyatt and I laughed and laughed while building it, as it fell numerous times and he kept trying to eat while we worked. It was hilarious. I managed to grab a quick photo before it tumbled for the final time…

So while not something big or adventurous, still something that was difficult and new that we did together – and had a blast.

Another point that Eskridge makes that I absolutely love is that traditions make memories. So so true. I try to build little traditions into our lives and I love this idea that these traditions become happy memories that last forever. She adds in some suggestions to get you started if you need a little inspiration. The whole book actually has a ton of inspiration and little helps for parents who need the extra push or information. (like what to pack in your adventure bag!)

Eskridge ends the book with simple guides for some little adventures, such as hiking, and visiting an art museum. I absolutely loved her suggestions for the art museum visit, and can’t wait to put them in practice eventually!

This was a short, informative, and interesting read, and I highly recommend it – especially if you feel that you are not adventurous!