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Unleashing The Outdoors—One Kid At A Time
Everyone knows the trend… gone are the days where kids left at dawn and returned at dusk when a parent rang a bell for them to come home. Once home, they would tell their parents about all the adventures they had been on… how they caught trout in a neighbor’s pond, built a fort in the woods or just played the odd game of pick up baseball. We all remember those days, fondly might I add!
Sadly, today’s world has changed. Kids spend hours on their phones, watching TV, playing video games, updating their Facebook status, posting selfies with no meaning, or even worse watching a TV commercial by some organization TRYING to get kids outdoors for a measly 60 minutes a day. How sad.
Who is to blame? Technology! Maybe. It is so readily available and at our fingertips. Fear is probably a part of the equation, also. We all fear for our children’s safety. But really, it is us, the parents, who are at fault.
It is easier to give our kids a tablet, smart phone, movie or TV show instead of teaching them patience at the restaurant, respect at a doctor’s office or discipline at home before dinner. We have collectively decided it is easier to have them at home where we can be helicopter parents instead of letting them play outside. We would rather have our own time and not be bothered with parenting, therefore we keep them safely glued to a screen.
The good news is we can change all that in a simple manner. We can choose to take the time and spend it with our kids in a meaningful way. We can and should get them outdoors more often and let them play. It is critical for our kids to grow up and learn that there is more to life than a screen. We need to lead the way, and there are companies that can help us do just that.
Let’s harness technology the right way. There are apps out there that we can use educate our kids on the outdoors and make it fun. Who doesn’t like a good brag board to show off pics of ourselves fishing? Let’s harness their selfie mentality and use apps like FishBrain to show off catches and promote the outdoors.
Better yet, let’s help them make memories that will blow their minds. Hire a professional guide to take your family fishing. Take your grandkids. Leave the social media behind and focus on spending time together. Great sites like www.iTrekkers.com exist to facilitate that in an easy and simple way. Just get them outside and help them unleash the outdoors!