Many parents place their hopes on summer camps as a place for their children to practice skills, increase independence and have memorable summer experiences.
However, after many controversial incidents related to unsafe living conditions, stereotyped activities, and even bullying at summer camps, many parents wonder: Is it necessary to send their children here?
For many years now, the family of 6 of Robert Linh (born 1982, Hanoi ) has chosen a completely different direction: Traveling across Vietnam with "self-designed summer camps" lasting more than 10 days.
They travel through dozens of provinces and cities, with schedules that are "weighed and measured" according to the endurance, interests and abilities of each member, or "home summer camps" when there is not much time.
Linh's family of 6 (Photo: Character provided).
Robert Linh's family has 4 children from 3 to 16 years old. At first, when both husband and wife were still working at the office, each trip had to be carefully calculated with the vacation schedule.
Since the family welcomed two new members, Mr. Linh proactively switched his work to freelance, to be more flexible in accompanying, caring for and spending quality time with his children.
Recently, the whole family started their trip from Hanoi on the evening of June 3, after many months of preparation, from planning the route, splitting up for morning exercise, to discussing how to cook along the way and packing minimal luggage.
With a pickup truck carrying 6 members, fully loaded with belongings, a mini gas stove, a large ice chest to preserve food, the trip was not only a summer vacation, but also a journey for members to bond more closely together.
Fun journey with funny stories
Departing from Hanoi, Linh's family visited many famous places such as Hai Van Quan, An Bang beach, Mang Den (now in Quang Ngai), Da Lat (Lam Dong), Vung Ro Unnumbered Wharf Relic Site, Ganh Da Dia (now in Dak Lak )...
On the journey of more than 3,200km, Mr. Linh not only drove, but also acted as an amateur tour guide, telling historical stories along the country's roads.
“We went to Quang Tri ancient citadel, stood in front of Thach Han river, listened to the song “Cau ho ben bo Hien Luong” right on the historic bridge. I told my children about the 81 fierce days and nights, about the soldiers who died by that river. The whole family also went to burn incense at Truong Son cemetery, stopped at Vung Ro where there was a train without a number…”, Mr. Linh recalled.
Mr. Linh pays special attention to educating his children about patriotism (Photo: Character provided).
In addition, the trip also became a test of the durability of family bonds when 6 people were in a car for many consecutive days, experiencing all kinds of weather, lack of amenities and disagreements...
“After just 3 hours, the atmosphere in the car starts to become tense. Children compete to turn on the music, adults are confused about finding their way, sometimes arguing over a fan,” Linh said.
“Rain of bombs and bullets” is the phrase he uses to describe the inevitable clashes. But after each “storm”, he discovers something precious when his children know how to give in to each other, his wife encourages her husband when he is tired, and the whole family comes together to make peace like a well-coordinated soccer team.
One day, his family took the wrong path at 2:30 a.m. in a deserted forest because they trusted the map's instructions. It was pitch black and all they could hear was insects and the sound of a car engine. "Honestly, I was very confused at that time, but I still had to try to keep a calm face and a firm voice so that my wife and children would feel secure and not panic," he said.
It is during those stressful moments that children learn patience and conflict resolution skills, and parents relearn how to listen.
Linh's family checked in at Mang Den (Photo: Character provided).
He said the cost of the trip was not too high, if you know how to manage. The family proactively brought a mini gas stove, dried food, fruit... so they could set up a tent to cook along the road.
“After the journey, the most valuable thing we bring back is not the check-in photos or the million-view videos, but the hearts full of memories. That is the invisible luggage that will follow the children for the rest of their lives,” he said.
Summer Camp at Home
If long trips bring vivid experiences and practical knowledge, then on the contrary, the familiar space of the house can also become a creative and connecting "summer camp", as long as parents are enthusiastic enough and willing to play with their children.
For Linh’s family, the “home summer camp” model is not a temporary solution but a summer tradition that has been maintained for many years. Each year, the program is “upgraded” to suit the age and personality of each member.
In the limited space of the living room or terrace, the whole family set up tents, organized “countryside markets”, had cooking competitions, told stories, painted pictures, and acted as tourism ambassadors to introduce a favorite province. These seemingly simple activities made the whole family laugh all day, learning how to cooperate, share, and confidently express themselves.
The summer camp atmosphere is fueled by the seriousness in the organization when each activity has a name, a schedule, rewards and... even anger just like long journeys.
Mr. Linh believes that as long as parents spend a little time with their children, any place can be a meaningful summer camp (Photo: Character provided).
Having received many messages from other parents, Mr. Linh simply said: “Don’t compare your family with anyone else’s. Summer camp is not about money, but about the heart.
If you do it with real love, with real time spent with your child, then even if it's just a cooking session together or a quilt camping trip in the living room, it's still summer camp."
He also admitted that organizing a summer like that is not easy because it requires sacrifices of time, effort and sometimes patience to not get angry when the child spills water, to sit down and listen to the "oh my god" stories of a 6-year-old child...
But in return, he received more than anything: the eager eyes of his children every time his parents suggested the next trip, the unforced bond between family members, the spirit of living responsibly and beautifully... things that he believes can only be nurtured through companionship.
Journeys together help members bond more (Photo: Character provided).
“I have heard many parents complain that their children are grown up and glare at them when asked to take a photo together. But in my family, it is the opposite. My children compete to stand in the middle of the frame. Because they feel that being present in this family picture is a joy, not a duty,” said Mr. Linh.
For Mr. Linh, there is no standard formula for an “ideal summer camp”. He sees summer as a precious time for parents to create childhood memories with their children, before they grow up too quickly, become too busy and get caught up in summers called “extra classes”.
“We’re not looking for perfect summers. We just hope that every year when we look back, our kids will have something to remember for laughing, crying, arguing and loving under the same roof, on the same journey and in the same family,” he said.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/ong-bo-4-con-o-ha-noi-tu-thiet-ke-trai-he-dua-gia-dinh-xuyen-viet-3200km-20250708094515657.htm
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