As we were walking along the path of the afternoon hike we were on, we passed a group of 3 women. We always say hello to people we pass on hikes, and as our groups were trekking by each other, one women said to Gerardo and myself, ?It?s so nice to see children outside.? Another women added to the compliment by saying, ?You?re good parents! More parents need to do this with their children.?
I responded with, ?Thank you! You have a blessed day!?, to which the latter women replied the same to me. It was such a simple and nice compliment. Yet it rang through my ears long after the brief conversation took place.
I pondered for a while how rarely they see children on their hikes. And I reflected on my own hikes to determine how many children I’ve personally seen participating in this physical activity with their families. I have to say, those women were right? It is not common to see kids on hikes. (And to take it one step further, it?s not overly common to see kids playing outside anymore either.)
After the exchanged words with my fellow navigators and contemplating why seeing our kids on this hike had such an impact on them they felt the need to say something to us, I was compelled to compose a blog post.
I?m writing this post for three reasons.
- I think it?s important to remind my fellow parents as to the necessity of getting their kids outside and making it a part of their daily life.
- It?s equally as important to encourage parents who already embody an outdoorsy lifestyle to continue doing so.
- I want to help families connect with each other, with mother nature, and with their own individual bodies and souls. Being outdoors is the best means to being able to achieve this triangle of connections.
Note: the reason why #2 is important is because it?s easy to succumb to peer pressure of other parents staying indoors, the begging of children to buy another electronic, and, to put it simply, pure exhaustion of being a parent. With these types of obstacles, we can unknowingly lure kids inside and allow the television or video games to take over.
You might be thinking, ?Yes Laura, I agree that my kids need to play outside more, but I simply don?t have the time/energy/resources/[insert obstacle here].? To which I would reply, I totally and completely understand! But if you?re willing to listen, I?m going to share a few tips to help you navigate these issues and allow yourself to also reap the benefits of being outdoors more.
1) Get your whole family involved.
A child has one ultimate goal everyday – to receive undivided attention from his or her parents/family. Instead of trying to get your kids to go play outside by themselves, with siblings, or with friends all the time, try joining them. And while you?re at it, make it a family affair! Schedule (YES, SCHEDULE) family outside time 1-2 times a week to start, knowing when it will work best for all of you. Think Sunday evenings to start. Once you schedule the time, your family can decide on the outdoor activity. This can include family walks, bike rides, soccer games, frisbee, nature hunts, dog walks, park time, batting practice, workouts, and more. You get the picture – just anything that can be done outside (and for FREE!).
2) After school outside time.
The monotony of the average family?s day-to-day schedule is emotionally and mentally draining. Sometimes physically too. Instead of rushing home from school or work and starting on dinner and homework right away, take 10 minutes to be outside with your kids. There are many benefits of choosing you start your evening like this, from allowing your children to decompress from being at school for 8 hours, to allowing you to mentally prepare for the evening tasks, enjoying quality one-on-one time, and breathing fresh air to refuel your brain and body for the tasks ahead. A simple 10 minutes you can spare after school or work to spend outside will do more wonders for yourself and your family than you think.
3) Look up!
How many beautiful night skies do you miss because you never look up? Before starting bedtime routine, take a night or two a week and teach your children that their wondrous minds are beautiful. Engage with them and become child-like yourself by looking up at the stars. Look for shooting stars, planets, and constellations. There are many apps that also show you which star combinations are constellations so you don?t have to guess! Your children will love it and it?s such a beautiful way to relax before bed.
4) Let the sun wake you up.
From suggesting star gazing to a sunlight alarm clock? did you know the healthiest way for your body to wake up is by natural sunlight? Set your alarm clock for 10 minutes earlier so you can take your coffee outside and invite your kids to sit and watch the sunrise with you before school/work. If you wake up and get ready when it?s still dark out, when it?s time to get your kids up, simply wake them a few minutes early and take them outside to enjoy the morning sun before they head to school to sit indoors for the day. This is something that creates beautiful moments you both will cherish all day long. The other benefit of this tip is it teaches us the discipline of slowing down and being in the moment, which is such an important, and yet, hard to master life skill.
5) Work out with your kids!
A lot of people I know have to workout when they are done with work. If this is you, what do you do with your kiddos while you?re exercising? My suggestion is to invite them to join you, watch, or to take your workout outdoors once or twice a week so they can play and you can enjoy your fitness! Show them that physical activity is a privilege and not a punishment.
6) Weekend Activities
My final tip for this post is to reevaluate what weekend activities your family tends to participate in most. That?s not to say lounging in your pajamas and eating pizza one Saturday isn?t an incredible day the whole family needs. It just means it shouldn?t be EVERY Saturday. Go to the beach. Go on a hike. Invite another family to play kickball. BBQ at a park. Play tourist to your local botanical gardens, bike paths, and parks. I know most people are tired by the end of the week and have a honey-do list a mile long, so weekends are for playing catchup and home improvement projects. But I?ll take this opportunity to provide you with a simple reminder – they will still be there next weekend.
With that being said, I?ll provide one more reminder that you probably don?t need?
Your kids won?t stay little forever!
Take them outside. Go on a hike! Walk along the beach and watch the sunset. Build snowmen and bonfires. Show your children that being outdoors, connecting with nature, and being more physically active will grow you closer as a family. Show them (and yourself) the benefits of taking time to spend outside a few times a week will also build the habit of slowing down and being present in the moment, as well as slowing down and learning to reset.
Parents, it?s necessary to get your kids outside even if they say they don?t want to be. Over time, they will learn to embrace it and eventually love it. And if your kids are already outside a lot, don?t give up on the fight against electronics. It grows harder everyday, but it?s worth going against the grain and not giving in!
I hope to hear from all of you how you incorporate outside time with your kids and the benefits you?ve seen individually and as a family from doing so. Comment below with other outside time ideas I may have missed!
