I’m not a huge fan of plastering my beliefs on a bumper sticker so I can show them to everyone. I generally believe that my religion and my politics are my business, but one of our friends has a great bumper sticker that really struck a chord with me. It says, “Don’t hunt your kids. Hunt with your kids.”
We have kids in our camp ranging from 32 to 3. Yes, they are still kids to us even in their thirties. With the exception of my son-in-law, they are all girls. Needless to say it can be a circus at times. 8 – 10 people in camp is about normal.
The teenage girls would sometimes rather be somewhere, anywhere, other than in camp. Boys, cell phones, school, friends, sports and plenty of other things pull them in all directions. Sometimes we let them stay with a friend or grandparent, but we usually make them come with us. We believe they benefit from time with family of all ages.
My daughter is a 31 year-old Army vet. She is a wife, mom and a law student. She is an all-around bad ass. Just being around a powerful woman has taught them they can. Not can do this or that, but just that they can.
The three-year-old teaches that there is wonder and joy everywhere and almost anything can be made better with a cookie.
Grandpa teaches us all what matters and what doesn’t. He has forgotten more about being in the mountains and hunting than I will ever know. 
He and my husband and my son-in-law teach them what good men are so hopefully they don’t end up with men who aren’t so good.
They teach us that sometimes a new way might work just fine or even better. Me, I just watch it all and appreciate that our children are right with us and wonderfully under foot.
Real Women Hunt 