I grew up playing outside a lot, and my family would go on camping trips.
But I didn’t think of myself as an “outdoor kid.”
It was just my childhood and how we did it growing up.
And my husband [professional climberTommy Caldwell], his job is essentially playing outside.
So even before having kids, our lives were about getting outdoors and doing this together.
Once we started having the conversation about having kids, it was really important thatwe embraced being outside.
We weren’t going to stop that part of our lives just because we had kids.
Spark their imagination.
They’ve learned to be comfortable with nature because they’ve had so much practice.
They’ve embraced it as their playground.
Now, our kids can just see anything in nature and turn it into anything they want.
And you’ve got the option to encourage it if your kids are not there yet.
Nature does help bring this out, too.
you could still do imagination play, but you’re always going to be on a boat.
Set expectations for yourself.
You might have these big expectations of “We’re going to go out on this adventure!”
And then everything changes once you get outside; you just need to be flexible.
Some days, yes, it takes effort.
You do all that work for what ends up being only 20 minutes of outdoor time.
But for us, it is just going to be what we are going to do.
So we just do it, and you get used to it as a parent.
Know when to nudge.
Even our kids,they have days.
Then there are days where they are tired, and it takes more work to get them engaged.
And then, from there, it’s usually just getting over the hump.
And during those times that they’ve pushed through, they’re really glad they did.
Like, for example, getting outside to go for a run is hard.
But then after, you’re usually happy you did it.
The same goes for kids too.
Of course there are times it’s crucial that you call it quits.
Or if we’re hiking, sometimes they start getting tired, which is totally understandable!
(Kids are allowed to be tired or just be over it.)
Or, more likely, when we run out of snacks.
So you just need to pay attention and listen to them.
You, as a parent, will know when you’ve reached a tipping point.
Snacks always help.
Plus, food just keeps morale high.
So it’s things like peanut butter sandwiches, protein bars, carrots, and a bit of fruit.
This all being said: We’re not fully opposed to sugar.
The other day we went on a climbing adventure, and we brought gummy bears.
There’s a time and place for it.
Finally, always make space for pause.
It can be tempting to be like, “OK, we’re going to go do this now!
C’mon, let’s go!”
But you better give them breaks during to let them explore for themselves.
It givesthem a sense of control, which I think is good.
It provides the opportunity to lead the ideas and come up with activities.
