Hiking With Kids Part 1
Getting Out and Hiking With Kids!
Hiking in the woods can be so beneficial for your kids for so many reasons!
My story actually started in 2010. The kids were going to be out of school soon and I couldn't bear another summer of fighting, and sitting around watching TV in the air conditioned house. What, and how was I going to change this?
Money was super tight so I had to come up with something to fill out time, but with limited funds which included the money spent on gas. It had been YEARS since I had hiked. Never mind going into the woods with the kids by myself? All those wild animals out there? Well, I gave it a try. All summer long I went on hikes with the kids.
We started out easy. We would pick level ground, like the beach and just walk a few miles with a promise of being able to swim or play in the sand when we were done. My kids were 7 and 9 at the time. A nice ripe age. We slowly graduated into longer level walks or chose some more hilly trails in the woods that were a mile or two long. When we started I was well over 200 lbs., and my kids could have used some exercise too. By the end of the summer we were doing trails in the woods on the average of about 6 miles long, and we were all thinner!
I would tell the kids that we were going on a hike and they would start to complain. Typically when we would hit the top of the mountain or on our way down they would say "Thanks Mom for bringing us!". That alone made all it all worth it!
I started out our summer doing something to occupy my kids. By the end of the summer I had done something great for my whole family's health - including my husband on the weekends, and my kids were fighting less and working together, and if you are a mother you know that melts your heart! The best thing that happened though was that my son has ADHD that we were not treating with meds. His thinking became so clear and he did great at the start of a new school year. It not only made us happy, but gave him incredible confidence! That fall my children played soccer and they actually had stamina!
In the spring of 2011, we had already begun our walking and hiking with the kids. We had a few goals to reach that summer. For the first time ever we wanted to be able to tackle a 4,000 footer in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The previous summer, we rode up the Cog Railway on Mt. Washington. My son wanted to hike it. I think we will need a little more training before we tackle that though!
My hope is that Mom's or Dad's will get outside with their kids this summer and enjoy what is free! I will be publishing more blogs on our adventures, trails to hit on the seacoast and beyond, and essentials for hiking with kids!
Until then, have fun outdoors!!
OutdoorsMom
