The Great Outdoors - Get Up and Get Out

Not every day has to be spent expending energy in a productive manner from dusk til dawn (although if you ask Scott and the kids, they might say I think otherwise). There is quite a bit of enjoyment in having the rare occasion to NOT DO ANYTHING.

My favorite place for that is a hammock in the middle of the woods but a rainy day lounging at home is nice too, especially in the winter with the fireplace going!

Like most parents, our days are spent going from before the sun rises to well after it sets, but I couldn't love it any more. Monday through Friday it is the day to day grind of alarm clocks (not a big fan those!), desk jobs or school, homework, cooking, bath time, bedtime, etc. There are also the mundane but necessary chores of grocery and other shopping, dishes, laundry, and other general household requirements that necessitate our spending yet more time inside...even on the weekends. However, any time we have the opportunity you can pretty much find our family outside....somewhere.

Sometimes it is just out in the yard tending to the garden while the kids help (or play if they have their druthers) and sometimes we hop in the car and take off to explore. We have been fortunate enough to visit quite a few amazing places over the last two years...Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness, pieces of the Cumberland Trail, Benton Falls, Keown Falls, Fall Creek Falls, a dozen waterfalls and trails in the North Georgia mountains and tons of local trails throughout the mountains surrounding the beautiful city of Chattanooga.

The kids occasionally require a little encouragement to get up and out the door to our latest destination, but they do enjoy themselves when they get there. We always pack plenty of water and healthy snacks (lots of food is a requirement for our youngest...a boy who may eventually need a small farm to sustain). A picnic with a scenic view is usually a great mid-point destination for our hikes. A creek with a swimming hole makes for a refreshing place to cool off whether just on a short hike or on an overnight backpacking trip.

We are already planning new destinations for the next weekend camping trips and backpacking destinations for the fall and day hiking for the winter months.
If you would like to start making your own memories in the woods here are a few tips.

1. Start small.- You don't need to start out doing a section of the Appalachian Trail. Even a hike of less than a half mile can be a rewarding experience. One of our first trips was to a 100 foot waterfall. The trail was flat and less than 300 yards long.  The view was spectacular and because it was at a waterfall of that size the kids were excited to be there.

2. Have a target in mind-  When hiking with kids, (or even on your own for that matter) have a destination in mind. Something with a stopping point that gives a view or a activity that can be seen as a high point of the trip. This will take   minimum of research on your part.  Our family started out by collecting waterfalls.

3. Take snacks- If your kids are anything like ours their day revolves around the next time they eat. This can be used to your advantage. When the whining starts, ...and it will start, the phrase " We can eat as soon as we get there" works wonders.

4. Talk as you walk- Take this time to talk to your kids or your partner. You are away from the TV. There is no Xbox. If you are lucky, you are even out of cell range.

5. Remember safety-  You are in the woods, and there are things that can go wrong. Take a small first aid kit and know how to use it. Make sure that someone know where you are going, the route you are taking and when you will return. This can greatly reduce the time you will spend in the woods if you are lost or injured. But, the most important information that you can use and pass to your children is to know what to do if you get lost.  Rule #1 for kids - sit down and stay put. Tell them not start moving around when they are lost. A moving target is much harder to find.   Rule #2 for kids - Stay calm  and wait for help to come. Let them know you will be the one looking for them.  A whistle is a great tool in the woods and you can pick them up for about $1.  Make sure you and each of your kids has one.  Rule # 3 for kids- blow the whistle 3 short times on constant intervals...the sign of distress.  The sound can help you find them.  Plus it makes them feel they are helping themselves.  Don't think they can't get lost on a short trip. We lost one ours walking into Academy sports the other day in less than 60 seconds.

Don't let that scare you though.  As with most things, planning is key to prevention.  There are things that can go wrong outdoors just as there are anywhere else, but the outdoors has a multitude of benefits for the next generation as well.  What better way for our kids to learn than from their parents actually experiencing it WITH THEM!  Yes, it is great for the kids to play in the yard while dinner is cooking or various household chores are being done. It gets them out from under our feet while also getting them out and moving.

However, kids learn a great deal by example and the greatest example for our kids is us. We all find that out first hand when our children repeat something we probably shouldn't have said in front of them or displays a few familiar mannerisms while frustrated or mad. I see myself in my kids every day...the good and the not so.

In a day and age when childhood diabetes and obesity have become all to prevalent and kids spend WAY too much time glued to some sort of electronic device, both in school and out, it is even MORE important to teach the next generation of the simple yet endless joys that can be found outside. Just to name a few...

HEALTH- A physically active lifestyle is best learned young. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well that’s not quite the case with all people, but a physically active lifestyle can be a hell of a lot harder to get used to later in life than starting from the beginning.

APPRECIATION OF NATURE – in the hustle and bustle of the electronic age, it is even more important that we unplug and get back to the simpler things and that we teach our kids to do the same.

LEARNING NEW YET BASIC SKILLS – teaching the kids to start a fire, cook their food over campfire, track their path on a trail, identifying wildlife both dangerous and otherwise is a lot of fun for them.

CONSERVATION – there is no place like the outdoors to teach the next generation how important it is to preserve this planet and all its wonders for many to come.

I am not an “anti-TV” parent and I’m not against letting my kids play computer games at home.  Electronics by themselves aren't all bad.  Let’s face it, sometimes a screen of some sort is a necessary evil... a parent sanity tool. On weekend evenings that are spent at home we love to have family movie nights where we pile up on the couches or all the kids crawl up in the bed with us (and Scott without fail falls asleep 10 minutest into it). Scott and I will absolutely turn on the cartoons after feeding the family breakfast on a weekend morning just so we can spend some time together cuddled up. However, like just  any other indulgence...moderation is the key to a balanced life.  What better gift can we give to our kids?

The Great Outdoors is waiting for you to come and enjoy - Get Up and Get Out!