Three questions you should ask yourself, too

Posted by MomOnMars on April 08, 2010

As one of the  Be Out There moms for the National Wildlife Foundation, I just received three questions about the outdoors. Should be easy enough to answer, but I found myself really having to think about the answers. Intention. It’s a good thing.

Want to be intentional about getting your kids out more often? Then ask yourself these same three questions and see what answers you come up with. Then, share them in the comments. That way, we’ll all benefit from each others thoughtful consideration!

Why do you get your kids outside…
First, there’s the health benefits. That’s easy for my daughter – she’s on swim team. For my son, it’s a whole other issue. Because of his special needs (Asperger’s), he is in no way interested in sports or outdoor activities. He’d much rather be crunching numbers figuring out some complicated mathematical concept.

How I get my kids outside…
Tie it into something they are interested in. For my daughter, that means finding friends to meet her outside. I don’t care if they sit on the curb and talk or ride bikes…just so long as they are breathing in that fresh air! For my son, it means tying it into his special interests. Fossil hunting is a big one. Fortunately, we have a creek bed behind our house. On a good day, we can find four or five solid specimens. Or astronomy. We love to go figure out the stars and planets on a clear night. The beach is good after the rain when we can find good shells and silver dollars.

At one point, the kids in the neighborhood created an outdoor fort they called Fortsburg in the greenbelt at the end of our street. For days, the kids built rock chairs and stick tables. They’d gather after school and have parties. Until it got destroyed by a bad rain. They tried rebuilding it once, but the teens in the neighborhood raided it.

Why I make outside a priority…
To me, outdoors is a beautiful expression of creativity. I love how what we see in the geometrical shape of a flower or a shell is repeated in the stars. I love the stories of the generations that can be found in historical sites and fossils. I love the contemplation of just how vast the universe is when I look up to the stars. And then there are the memories….of a cool Spring breeze, a gentle clean-smelling rain, the heat on your skin when you’ve been inside a cold building, the crunch of crispy leaves, the smell of Mountain Laurel. A childhood just isn’t a childhood without those memories.

Okay – your turn!

I should mention (for those of you who care), my role as a founding mother for the National Wildlife Foundation is strictly unpaid and voluntary. Okay – they did send my son a panda bear after his surgery and some Ranger Rick magazines. But me – I didn’t even get the retro Ranger Rick t-shirt that apparently all the other moms got.  So I can confidently say no commercial messages were harmed in the making of this disclaimer.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Google Bookmarks
  • http://www.therextras.com Barbara

    We think alike!

    Unexpected lessons….
    Yesterday Hubby brought home a chick found on the football field. (They always bring animals to the Science guy at his school). Our Audubon Society member next door neighbor told us about a Wildlife Rescue satellite here in town. They took little birdie right over. Hubby gave rave reviews to the place and how little birdie was taken-in. Our Teen plans to volunteer there this summer. They need MORE volunteers!

    Far easier to develop appreciation for animals outdoors, eh?

  • http://socialmediamentoring.com Colleen Pence

    I love this. Here are my answers:

    Why do you get your kids outside…

    I get my kids outside for three main reasons -
    1. For Vitamin D
    2. For exercise
    3. To stimulate their creativity

    How I get my kids outside…
    This one is very easy for me. My kids are young (2 & 5) so they’re not completely into the TV, computer or texting (yet!) and they ALWAYS want to be outside. So, unless it’s pouring rain, you can find us in our backyard, walking around our neighborhood or at a park.

    Why I make outside a priority…
    When we’re outside together there is never a lack of things for us to do. My kids don’t get bored. I have to beg them to come back inside (this often involves me carrying a two-year-old who is kicking and screaming). The kids’ creativity is at its peak – a stick becomes a royal scepter, their playscape is a kingdom, a pot of dirt transforms into a mushroom soup they’re making me. They create games to play together. They enjoy watching bugs and making up stories about the tiny bugs’ lives. I have so much fun watching and listening to them come up with wildly creative games and stories. It’s usually the best part of my day.

    • DP

      Colleen – it’s so good to get them into the habit now while they are young. Somebody once told me that mommy’s job is to “be the story keeper.” Keep lots of pictures so when they are older, they can remember how much fun it is being outdoors! Remind them that they can be creative and unencumbered and imaginative!

  • http://www.reclaimorder.com reclaimorder

    I love how my children have opened my eyes again to the outdoors. As a young adult I was “too busy” with other things. I didn’t stop to look at the ants carrying food across the sidewalk, or pick up leaves, twigs and rocks to put in our “treasure” box. My boys have reminded me how much I loved being outdoors as a child, and have helped me to love it again!

    • DP

      It is amazing how our kids help us be more intentional about keeping an eye out for the little things. I remember my son found a $10 bill. I asked him how he found it. He said, simply, “because I was looking.”