Man, I love reading about kids being raised in nature! With these experiences I believe you've set them on a great path for life. My kids are almost grown now, but I took them on many camping and hiking adventures growing up, and they still come along on day trips from time to time. There is no more valuable way to build a bond with family!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Erik. With them being 18 and 15, we’re certainly in a new era of parenting adventures. New challenges AND capabilities. It must be rewarding for you to see how the experiences you introduced your kids to now translates into their own worldviews and passions.
It definitely is! As much as I wanted to impose my own interests on them, they've each developed into their own fascinating person. I'm certain those wilderness experiences stick with them, wherever they go. Mine are almost exactly the same age- the boy is 18 and the girl will turn 16 in early January!
I had the same desire to impose my interests. Such an exciting time to see where they go and who they become. And (I’m guessing you’re the same way), I continue to explore/grow/have adventures, so that adds to a fun dynamic.
One of my most favorite memories is climbing a small (now I know) mountain with my parents when I was 8 or 9. Outside being where we played, learned, and investigated. When I was hiking my second long-distance trail my dad asked, "Why do you do this?" and without hesitation I remember saying, "Because of you, dad."
I might argue that families remember and reflect on their outdoor experiences more than playing a video game.
That’s a special and touching memory, Stacy. Much appreciation for sharing it. I think those outdoor memories are powerful because they’re visceral, touching all senses in a primal way (something a video game will never do).
It was the same hike that solidified my lifelong dislike of water moccasins. 😙
I simply wish more families would spend time outside, be willing to learn together. I'm not saying spend a lot of money on a canoe and tipping over at the bank trying to get in, but standing at the shore and squatting to look at rocks, bugs, fish, and hearing the lap of lake surface shifts. The canoe will become a part of next adventure.
“Undeterred by these minor inconveniences, the memories we create together act as a mechanism to convey my love for the land to them. In turn, with gratitude for the vast amount of open land this nation has to offer, I hope they become lifelong stewards and informed advocates, in their own way, for preserving these spaces as wild and open.”
It was the memories created within me by my time in the outdoors with my father that led me to create them with my children. I hope I helped in creating lifelong stewards and advocates for our public lands!
Ryan- Thanks so much for reading and spreading the word. These topics (access to public lands, parenting) are important to me so I’m always glad when they resonate with readers.
Man, I love reading about kids being raised in nature! With these experiences I believe you've set them on a great path for life. My kids are almost grown now, but I took them on many camping and hiking adventures growing up, and they still come along on day trips from time to time. There is no more valuable way to build a bond with family!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Erik. With them being 18 and 15, we’re certainly in a new era of parenting adventures. New challenges AND capabilities. It must be rewarding for you to see how the experiences you introduced your kids to now translates into their own worldviews and passions.
It definitely is! As much as I wanted to impose my own interests on them, they've each developed into their own fascinating person. I'm certain those wilderness experiences stick with them, wherever they go. Mine are almost exactly the same age- the boy is 18 and the girl will turn 16 in early January!
I had the same desire to impose my interests. Such an exciting time to see where they go and who they become. And (I’m guessing you’re the same way), I continue to explore/grow/have adventures, so that adds to a fun dynamic.
One of my most favorite memories is climbing a small (now I know) mountain with my parents when I was 8 or 9. Outside being where we played, learned, and investigated. When I was hiking my second long-distance trail my dad asked, "Why do you do this?" and without hesitation I remember saying, "Because of you, dad."
I might argue that families remember and reflect on their outdoor experiences more than playing a video game.
That’s a special and touching memory, Stacy. Much appreciation for sharing it. I think those outdoor memories are powerful because they’re visceral, touching all senses in a primal way (something a video game will never do).
It was the same hike that solidified my lifelong dislike of water moccasins. 😙
I simply wish more families would spend time outside, be willing to learn together. I'm not saying spend a lot of money on a canoe and tipping over at the bank trying to get in, but standing at the shore and squatting to look at rocks, bugs, fish, and hearing the lap of lake surface shifts. The canoe will become a part of next adventure.
I know, speaking to the choir ...
“Undeterred by these minor inconveniences, the memories we create together act as a mechanism to convey my love for the land to them. In turn, with gratitude for the vast amount of open land this nation has to offer, I hope they become lifelong stewards and informed advocates, in their own way, for preserving these spaces as wild and open.”
It was the memories created within me by my time in the outdoors with my father that led me to create them with my children. I hope I helped in creating lifelong stewards and advocates for our public lands!
Thank you Jesse for your story!❤️
Thank you for reading and sharing your experience. I appreciate it and love to hear about people’s experiences with the outdoors and nature.
Great post Jesse! Love hearing this sort of stuff.
Ryan- Thanks so much for reading and spreading the word. These topics (access to public lands, parenting) are important to me so I’m always glad when they resonate with readers.
Absolutely!