{"id":33784,"date":"2025-05-09T19:31:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T22:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/?p=33784"},"modified":"2026-09-18T12:41:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T15:41:23","slug":"mothers-share-the-benefits-and-challenges-of-spending-time-in-nature-without-their-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/mothers-share-the-benefits-and-challenges-of-spending-time-in-nature-without-their-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Mothers share the benefits and challenges of spending time in nature without their children"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was Christmas season when I left alone for the Amazon to spend a week immersed in a community 70 km from Manaus (capital of Amazonas State) without my 15-year-old daughter. That was my second experience without her \u2013 when Manu was 9, I went to Chapada dos Veadeiros (Goi\u00e1s), a trip that lasted ten days. Both experiences allowed me to reconnect with my essence and individuality.<\/p>\n

Like me, other mothers seek in nature a refuge for self-knowledge, overcoming challenges, fulfilling dreams, and leisure. But behind this opportunity, we often face questions like: \u201cWho did you leave your children with?\u201d \u201cAre you going to stay away from them for that long?\u201d \u2013 which make us carry a kind of maternal guilt. A burden often imposed by society, which believes we cannot step away from our role as mothers to live experiences that are just for ourselves.<\/p>\n

Laila Mantra, who began practicing outdoor activities at 30, when her children, Breno and Cadu, were 6 and 5 years old, knows this feeling well. \u201cMany people don’t understand what we feel when we’re in nature, and they would question how I could leave my children behind. Some called me brave, but I felt judgment behind that apparent admiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laila\u2019s first experience without her two sons was on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela<\/a>. At the time, she was married in an abusive relationship and deeply depressed. She bought a backpack in December and, in May, left for a 34-day solo journey.<\/p>\n

\"Laila<\/p>\n

Laila on the Camino de Santiago<\/p>\n

Spending Mother\u2019s Day away from her children was an even bigger challenge. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to deal with society\u2019s criticism. I was in a process of rediscovery, of understanding who I was and what I wanted. My soul craved freedom and contact with nature. I was very happy on the Camino. I came back transformed, got divorced, and changed careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laila says she carried the guilt of doing that journey alone for many years \u2013 she only overcame it during a 45-day trip to Africa, with the goal of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. Before departing, her younger son, Cadu, gave her a series of rolled-up notes. Each had a number corresponding to a day of the expedition.
\n\u201cHe asked me to open them in the right order. I get emotional remembering the daily messages of support. On summit day, the note said that even if they didn\u2019t know whether I had made it, he and his brother were proud of my journey and the woman I had become. That day, I realized what mattered most was the pride they felt for me, not outside judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The admiration was so strong that today, Laila\u2019s youngest son works with her at the tourism agency she founded years after the Camino de Santiago, Mantra. \u201cIf we don\u2019t pursue what makes our heart beat faster, how can we inspire the people we love the most \u2013 our children \u2013 to do the same?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Laila\"<\/p>\n

It is in nature that Laila finds the strength to do what is necessary while she\u2019s present with them. \u201cThe connection with the mountains, the feeling of freedom, and especially the certainty that I inspire and take other women to do the same is what transforms my life \u2013 and theirs. It\u2019s essential for my mental health to leave a city like S\u00e3o Paulo and deeply connect with nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Happy mothers raise happy children\u2019<\/h2>\n

During her childhood, Leticia Mantovani used to camp with her parents and visit her grandmother\u2019s countryside home. Her experience with nature continued through adolescence and adulthood.<\/p>\n

A chef, digital designer, and mother to 13-year-old Alice, Leticia began hiking alone when her daughter was around 6 years old. \u201cIn the beginning, I felt not only the weight on my conscience as a mother, but also the weight society placed on me. But I believe that happy mothers raise happy children. Hiking is what connects me to myself and to nature,\u201d says Leticia, who also enjoys bike packing.<\/p>\n

Although she takes Alice on some hikes, Leticia reserves some destinations to go solo \u2013 which her daughter understands well due to their good communication. At first, Leticia, already divorced, had support from her ex-husband, who always encouraged her. After his passing, she began relying on her mother. \u201cI had to help her understand that this is my way of living life since she comes from another generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Leticia\"<\/p>\n

Leticia<\/p>\n

Among Leticia\u2019s solo outdoor activities are almost all the trails in Itatiaia, Trilha do Ouro, Serra da Canastra, the Lapinha\u2013Tabuleiro crossing, among others. \u201cThree years ago, I gathered the courage to do longer ones, like Monte Roraima, where I spent a week with no contact with Alice. At first, I was worried, but then I realized it was my time and that she was well cared for by my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though she already knew how important solo time in nature was for her, after her ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer and her grandmother passed away, Leticia began to value even more the activities that bring her well-being. \u201cWhen we postpone things, we end up not living what we really want. Contact with nature has always been my life, and I often say it\u2019s my religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leticia\u2019s experiences in nature benefit not only herself but also Alice. \u201cI come back to her happier and with greater self-awareness. The benefits are more psychological than physical.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Our life is not just motherhood\u2019<\/h2>\n

For Renata Kuntz, a pediatrician and mother to Heitor (12) and Celina (3), traveling without her children is a way to pause the stress of everyday life and an opportunity for personal growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe connection with other people, places, and cultures \u2013 which I often don\u2019t have access to when I\u2019m with them \u2013 brings enormous personal growth. We have the chance to learn new customs, stories, and communities. That touches and inspires me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renata often has nature experiences with her children \u2013 Heitor has already joined her in Monte Roraima and Chapada dos Veadeiros \u2013 but once a year, she travels alone. Her first solo trip was to Salkantay, in Peru, in 2019. \u201cThat\u2019s when my post-motherhood journey began, and I understood that I could do it without them. It was symbolic and powerful. Even while away, I knew I could bring back something positive for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Renata\"<\/p>\n

Renata<\/p>\n

Since then, Renata has completed the W Trek in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, visited Mendoza, completed the Petr\u00f3polis\u2013Teres\u00f3polis crossing, joined expeditions in Chile, and is preparing for a 13-day trip to Chamonix, France. \u201cOur life is not just about motherhood and work. It\u2019s important to be well in order to care for our children and pass on good things. I always return stronger from outdoor experiences. It\u2019s a moment of connection and of reigniting what\u2019s inside me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her case, her parents help take care of the children. \u201cI live in Paran\u00e1 and they live in Rio. But they\u2019re able to come and stay with the kids while I\u2019m away. I also have the support of caretakers who help with my busy work routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a pediatrician, Renata emphasizes that childhood needs nature and leaves a reflection: \u201cHow can we offer this experience to our children if we don\u2019t live it ourselves? We have to feel confident so they can also explore it in the future. With good communication, we can help them understand that in a few days, we\u2019ll return with new stories to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Why should I give up my dream?\u2019<\/h2>\n

Just like Renata, Fernanda May always took her daughter, Mait\u00ea\u2014now 18\u2014on hikes and other nature immersions from a young age. Still, she never gave up on pursuing her dreams of reaching high mountain summits. “Every woman and mother has her own mental challenge, and mine is climbing high mountains.”<\/p>\n

Before becoming a doctor and a mother, Fernanda was already a mountaineer. She paused her activities temporarily during her medical residency, but when Mait\u00ea was born, nature called her back. “When she was six months old, I started hiking with her on my back in special baby backpacks. At ten months, she climbed Agulhas Negras peak with me and we never stopped. She brought me back to nature quickly and was my partner for many years. We crossed thousands of trails across Brazil.”<\/p>\n

In 2015, Fernanda started high-altitude mountaineering. Mait\u00ea was 7 years old. Since it’s a high-risk activity, the doctor began this journey alone, heading to Kilimanjaro and other destinations. “At first, she loved it and made little gifts for me to bring. She asked me to take summit pictures with booklets, drawings, and other things she made for me. But when I climbed Aconcagua, she was already a teenager and started to feel anxious. With time, that calmed down,” says Fernanda, who has already been to Bolivia, Peru, Nepal, Alaska, Russia, Argentina, France, and other high-altitude destinations.<\/p>\n

Fernanda recalls receiving a tempting invitation to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America, just when her daughter was about to leave the following month for a study exchange abroad. “I invited Mait\u00ea to talk and said: ‘You know Denali is a big dream of mine, just like the exchange is yours. Why do you think I should give up this opportunity if you\u2019re going to live your dream?’ I also told her I\u2019d dedicate the summit to her. When I got there, I made a video that went viral online. We must fight for our dreams.”<\/p>\n

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