Guest Post by Cragmama THE GREAT OUTDOORS: A Family Affair

Most of my fondest childhood memories involve the outdoors in some way or another.  Whether it was running through a neighborhood meadow armed with a butterfly net and field guides, collecting worms along the lake bank with my dad before casting our fishing lines, or practicing cannonballs with my mom at the local pool, I grew up spending more hours outside than in.  Now that I have a 2.5 year old son of my own, my hope is to instill a love and respect for the outdoors in him the way my parents did for me.

Unfortunately, images of wet, muddy kids gleefully entertaining themselves in the backyard with nothing but sticks and stones to play with are becoming a rare commodity these days, replaced by a newer generation of overweight, over-stimulated, over-medicated and “under-natured” children watching TV and playing video games.

Something has gone terribly wrong.  Check out some of these alarming statistics compiled by the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour Campaign –

§  The average American child spends more than 6 hours per DAY staring at some sort of electronic screen.

§  The childhood obesity rate has tripled over the past 3 decade.

§  The number of children using anti-depressants as well as ADHD medications such as Ritalin are on the rise.

§  Today’s American child only spends 4-7 minutes per day involved in unstructured outdoor play time.

Its pretty scary to think where we as a country will end up 30, 20, or even 10 years from now if we continue to sit on the couch and play video games with our kids rather than exploring nature with them.

Its about more than just “getting kids outdoors.”  Yes, getting outside is the first step, but in order to truly develop a lifelong love for outdoor recreation and an attitude of responsibility and stewardship towards nature, we need to do much more than just push kids out the door and into the backyard while we finish cooking dinner.

It starts with families – a road trip to a national park, a weekend camp-out in the mountains, or even a family bike ride on the local greenway.  Kids are impressionable little people that are eager to soak up whatever kind of learning we throw their way.  If we choose to teach them how to pick out good sticks for roasting marshmallows, they’ll learn that sleeping outside under the stars is loads of fun.  If we teach them that biking through neighborhoods to the nearest ice cream shop is a lot better than sitting in a car in traffic, they’ll learn that they can make a healthier planet by reducing their carbon footprint.

My son Canaan (aka Cragbaby) was born into a family that lives and breathes rock climbing.  He’s been hitting crags all over the Southeast since he was 6 weeks old, and no one could argue that he loves every minute of it.  Does this mean he’s gonna grow up to be the next Chris Sharma?  Who knows, and really, who cares?  The important thing is that our family is outside spending quality time together, and regardless of where he ends up 30 years from now, my prayer is that he’ll be a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted adult with loads of fond memories to look back on when he’s ready to start a family of his own and raise the next generation of outdoorsmen/women.

So I guess you could call this post somewhat of a call to arms – a call for parents to step up and be a good example for their kids.  Our children are looking to us for knowledge, wisdom and inspiration, and they won’t find it if we aren’t willing to bring them along on our adventures and let them explore right alongside of us.  Its time to redefine adventure – no longer is it something dad does Saturday mornings with the guys out at the lake, or something mom does Sunday afternoons on the hiking trail.  Adventure is a family affair – so turn off the TV and get outside!

-Cragmama
Erica Lineberry is the ultimate Cragmama.  Go check out her blog and get some great insight about cragging with your kids.