Raising an Outdoorsy Kid
Parenthood changes our life in many ways we can't even imagine. But there are still many things we can continue to enjoy with our babies, one of them is enjoying outdoor adventures (obviously kid friendly ones :) )
My husband and I love going on impromptu road trips and we liked being out and about without much planning.. There was one thing we were really sure of when our daughter came in our life , that we will make sure we go out with her often. We did not go for something very elaborate or over the top when she was an infant. Please don't mistake this as us being casual about the well being of our baby. We always chose baby friendly locations and unlike old times we planned well. Here we are with our outdoor loving kid and we love every bit of it.
Sharing things which helped us in planning successful trips with our little one:
· Start Early!! The more comfortable they are with outdoors while being babies, the more the probability of them liking it as they grow up. The first long road trip we took with T was when she was close to 6 months. We were not comfortable with the idea of it earlier but once we started, we never stopped. We have had taken so many trips with T till date and all have been fun.
· Start by exploring what your kid enjoys the most and then slowly start trying further new things. We knew our daughter enjoys parks but we were not very sure about going on a hike till last year because she would get tried after walking a little. This time when she is about to turn 4 , we went for a small hike and she loved it and hiked all the way with us.
· As parents we know the best about our kids. Never compare what other kids enjoy and why yours isn’t liking it. Everyone has a different interest area and its our responsibility as parents to explore it with our kids.
· T loves water and we knew she would love beach. She had an amazing time playing with water and sand on our beach visit this weekend. Though we are late , we are planning to send her for swimming lessons next year.
· There is a possibility that the first few times you go out with your kid especially when they are babies, the experience may not be as expected. Don’t give up easily and try again after a few days.
The key for a successful trip with your infant or toddler lies in good planning. Always make a list of essentials and plan for stops ahead. It makes the whole journey less stressful and more enjoyable.
We are so happy that our little one is in sync with all the fun activities we like as family and it makes vacations and weekends so much fun.
Kids are extremely malleable and the sooner we introduce them to new things, the more likely it is that they will enjoy it.
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