Tsuyoshi Tsuruno is raising two boys and three girls, and in February of this year, he began studying childcare by correspondence in order to obtain a childcare license. We interviewed Mr. Tsuruno, who has many hobbies and values outdoor experiences and the excitement he gains from nature, about how he relates to his family through camping.

The Importance of Making Time to Face Your Family

　About 10 years ago, when my fourth child was born, I took parental leave, which was not familiar to me at the time. At the time, I was so absorbed in my work that I was unable to keep up with the changes in my wife and family, and the situation was becoming increasingly confusing and contentious. I began to wonder if I could continue to spend my days focusing on work, and I decided that I wanted to make time to discuss childcare with my wife and build a foundation for our family.

　As I took the time to face childcare, it was the camp experience that bonded me with my child and helped me grow as a parent.

Parents themselves should be moved and enjoy themselves in an unusual environment.

　I believe that we should experience everything, make mistakes, learn from them, and make the most of them the next time. This is my stance. The first time I went camping, I had no knowledge of anything, and I was trying to start a fire by continuously roasting the coals directly on the fire until I had consumed a single ignition lighter (laughs).

　Through such failures, we learn and apply the knowledge to the next step. We update our knowledge through such repetition. Also, when I work on something with children for the first time, I think about how I can make them like it, and prepare and devise ways to do so. For example, we can see Mt. Fuji and Tanzawa from our house. but instead of just saying, “If you can see the mountains from your house, let’s climb the mountain and look at your house from the top! The excitement will change if you just say, “If you can see the mountain from your house, let’s climb the mountain and look at your house from the top! I climbed a mountain to see the house from the mountain, and the sunrise at that time was so beautiful that it made my child fall in love with mountain climbing.

　I go camping because I enjoy playing with my children in an unusual environment. I believe that children enjoy themselves more when they are moved more than anyone else, and when they are more excited than anyone else.

Spend a period of self-restraint by making changes in your daily life.

　I lived in a camper for a month because I wanted to test how much less stuff I could live with during this time of self-restraint from going out. The camper is equipped with a TV, refrigerator, microwave oven, etc., so I was able to live mostly in the camper except when I needed to take a bath or run errands.

　Tables and cameras were also set up, and people filmed Youtube videos and studied there. We also set up a planetarium machine for home use, and at night I would play games and look at the stars with my children. I could do these things at home, but just by changing the place a little, I was able to have a good time. In the end, I ended up with a bad back after only one month (lol), but it was such a comfortable and focused environment that I would have been happy to continue it forever.

We want to accumulate and share the small emotions in our daily lives.

　Moms and dads wish for their children to find something they love to do, but it is not always easy to find. It is good to let them experience various things in order to create hobbies, but what is important is to share the excitement with them.

　It can be a small everyday experience such as a nice day, a pleasant night breeze, or seeing a beautiful star, or it can be an experience through one’s work or hobby. I would like to create an environment where I can share these experiences with the children, rather than just telling them in words what I was moved by.

　I believe that having time to experience the excitement with your family will give your children many choices of things to do that they like and enjoy.

　In this regard, camping is a great way to experience excitement as a family. It is a precious time for various realizations and learnings, and a time for family unity. Why not incorporate an experience that will bring a sparkle to your children’s eyes through camping?