by Stacey Allen

Created on: April 04, 2008

I have a love-hate relationship with the outdoors. I love it, but I hate the way I was introduced to it. When I was young, my father did about everything he possibly could do to ensure that I would never step into the deep woods on my own volition. I'm sure he wasn't aware of this as he was doing it, as I was a quiet child who was only seeking acceptance.

As time went on though, I began to resent the weekend after weekends spent on hikes, skis, show shoe trips, canoe and kayak trips and extended camping trips. I was never given the option - it was assumed that it was what I wanted to do every weekend, whether I wanted to or not. I've come to terms with this, and as expected I haven't really done much in the outdoors since I became old enough to make my own decisions.

Though, as my husband and I are looking to have children sometime in the not-too-far-away future, I have begun to feel the pangs as the woods call to me. I want my child to experience the joy of watching the stars on an overnight hike, empower him or herself by building a campfire, feel the excitement of reaching a mountaintop or have the wonderful experience of stopping on a trail to look at a brightly colored newt. I want them to feel that initial wonder and joy at being in the mountains, and I want them to continue with that feeling throughout their life.

Most of all, I want to introduce my child to the outdoors in a way that will not scar them, nor make them shy away from doing these things as they get older and ultimately share these activities with their own children many, many years from now.

If nothing else, I hope that from my experiences I have learned what to do, and more importantly, what not to do when it comes to introducing a young one to the outdoors.

Without further ado, lessons learned for creating a pleasant outdoor experience for your child:

1. A mountain is not a race. Go at the child's speed. If you don't reach the top, its not the end of the world. The top will always be there, the important thing is that you are out out there as a family.

2. Never get upset if your child is interested in something off the beaten path. Even if they stop right in front of you and trip you up, if that newt is what it takes for them to be interested in being there, it is worth it.

3. Their comfort should always be the number one priority. No waterfall is worth a bloody heel. No mountaintop is worth an asthma attack. And nothing is worth taking your child to the doctor the next day because they developed tendonitis.

4. If they want a break or a sip from the canteen, take those few moments for them.

5. Always listen to and get the opinion of what the child wants to do and what they want to get our of the trip.

Their happiness will lead to continued trips and will create a lifetime of happy family fun outdoors. Enjoy!

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