​Before we had kids, my husband and I loved to hike together. Now we have two daughters (3.5 years and 14 months in ages), and we still love to be outside to walk and hike as a family. Yes, there are challenges, and yes, it's different from hiking just as two adults.
However, hiking and taking walks with small children can be really fun. Here are some of the things we've learned to help us enjoy these times outside being active with our kids.
​But why would you do this with children that young?
I know what you might be thinking: "That sounds difficult and frustrating, and you will not get anywhere!"
"Why do we like walking and hiking?"
There are many more benefits, as outlined in this article.
​It turns out that we can accomplish all of the above points with our children. Especially with the discovery of something new or beautiful, children actually enrich the experience. Kids discover things all the time. By slowing the whole process down, you are more likely to find and take the time to rescue the lonely turtle out of a puddle.
Well, we noticed that on a hike, we would often come to a place and say things like, "I want to walk the long five-mile trail today," or, "Let's go to the top and back."
So, we were setting goals to pursue for our hike that turned out to be fulfilling in the past, i.e., before we had children... And guess what?
It does not work with young children (yet).
Hiking as a family means having different considerations. You can push yourself, but you have to make sure not to push your little one over the edge into being cold, tired, hungry, or feeling like they have nothing to do but just go along with whatever mom or dad are doing.
After all, what is so great about walking 5 miles, when you can... wait. Look at this stick over there. How does it feel when you hold it? What sounds does it make when I throw it through the air?
Kids know that there is an entire world to explore when walking and hiking. Well, it took us adults some time not to feel we were missing out on our hikes, until we realized that although our personal "goals" are very different from our children's during hikes, we do not have to miss out.
See, whatever happens, we are in nature, we are exercising, we are discovering, and we do spend time with each other.
​If we want to set a quantifiable goal for a hike, we now set a minimum duration in hours, not miles. Instead of focusing on hiking to a certain point or distance, we focus on being together, exploring, and paying attention to what our girls need. This gives the flexibility to stop for long times, yet often we can still get very far.
Okay, you might say, that all sounds nice, but how do I get my toddler to walk at all?
Bring lots and lots of snacks and food, and take long breaks to eat.
Bring enough clothes so you do not get cold.
Can you carry this big stick for me?
Can you find a purple flower blooming already?
Do you want to carry this lunch bag?
Do you want to hold hands with you sister/brother?
See the apple tree at the top of this hill? Let's hike to it so we can pick apples!
Can you find the dandelions? Let’s pick a bouquet!
Can you look for the blackberries we are going to pick?
Try side carry keeping your spine stacked, or a piggy-back where you ask them to help hold on with their arms (older kids), or on the shoulders.
All of the times carrying kids will enhance your core, arm, hand, leg and foot strength.
It can be a really fun connection with kids.
Wearing a baby carrier can be a nice tool too.
Play some silly games, or make up some silly songs while walking.
I am going to hide, can you find me?
Can you walk like a frog? A bear?
Can you make a sound like that bird?
It can also really help to take friends along on a walk. More adults mean more people to carry the kids, make up games, and bring fresh ideas. Friends for the kids are almost always motivating for each other. If you invite a friend or two it also stacks in #vitamincommunity with your walk.
​Yes, meltdowns can happen too.
Take a break. Have a snuggle, a snack, a drink of water, etc.
Talk about what you've seen, heard, picked up, etc.
Ask if there's something scaring the child.
Try to get to where you can continue on a little more. If the child is fed, hydrated, not cold, etc., then can often recover quickly.
No matter what though, it's okay to turn back too. Sometimes a hike might get cut short. The trail will still be there next time.
The biggest point here isn't the hike itself. What matters is that you got outside, together as family, and took a walk and hike with your little ones. The memories you build on that hike can grow into a bigger love of being outside and having family togetherness, so there can be more hikes to come.
My family walks as much as possible. I think that walking as a part of life is revolutionary. Our cities are set up more and more for cars and capitalism than for humans. I see things around me that I would miss were I to drive. Walking to get places provides a huge amount of community involvement.
Lately I have felt a bit confused about what I can do in terms of political involvement and social justice work. I feel overwhelmed with what is going on in the world, and limited in my capacity to be involved because of my commitment to my small children, and also overwhelm of sleepless nights.
I decided to start noticing and appreciating what I am already doing that I consider important/political/revolutionary. Once I have noticed some of the things I do which are already integrated, I can more easily assess where I might add a few more things to my days.
It's movement (some would say exercise) but it's actually so much more than that.
​When I walk, I see how much plastic washes up on the banks of of a river and am reminded of my commitment to keep supporting political movements which decrease our reliance on plastic as well as my own commitment to reduce my consumption of disposable (and recyclable) items.
When I walk, I meet the city’s homeless population and have a much more direct and personal interaction with some of our most vulnerable citizens. It is all-too-easy to avoid eye-contact when I am driving. When I repeatedly see some of these folks, I remember to carry dry socks, or a gift certificate to a local food store. I remember to support agendas which provide better housing options. I remember that homelessness is a social justice issue, that there is a disparity in fairness within our society.
As I walk I see what’s going on in my neighborhood. I experience how walkable our community is or isn’t. I see where we might need another crosswalk by that playground, especially for folks in wheelchairs and when I walk I am much more liable to write to my city about these issues. I remember to donate money to causes which uphold the standard of care for our vulnerable citizens. It’s movement (some would say exercise) but it’s actually so much more than that.
Walking gives us an opportunity to have face-to-face contact with people in our community. We run into people and establish simple connections we would miss in a car. Today I walked by a neighbor's house and discovered that it is the home of one of my daughter's schoolmates. The parents and I chatted a bit about our kids, I was invited to a potluck next door to their house and we made some tentative playdates for us and the kids. So much fun! We find that we have many random, beneficial and informal interactions when we bike or walk.
Choosing not to drive gives us an opportunity to slow down.
We recently got a bike which can hold both kids. If I am going to walk or jump on the bike with my two kids and I have to use my own body to get there, I will only do it when I feel up to spending the energy it takes to travel there. If I lazily climb into my car, I car quite easily do too many things and stretch myself beyond my own and my children’s capacity. Thus, our choice of transport self-regulates our actions. Things are a little different when we have to be somewhere at a specific time, but I have noticed a positive overall effect.
Walking through wild lands lets me experience the calming effect these places have, and experience how me and my children learn from being in undeveloped nature. When I experience this and see what richness it gives to my children, I remember that I want to support the political causes which protect undeveloped land and the environment.
When walking with young kids, I have to walk with not much agenda, and therefore need to go out with the openness to see what happens in order to go at their pace. My 11-month-old has been walking for 3 months now and she recently started being able to walk with us on walks little bits at a time. It’s pretty thrilling. What’s even more exciting is seeing things through both of my kids’ eyes. I think that when my first daughter was little I had such a hard time slowing down and letting go of the desire to keep walking and get somewhere, that I often spent my walks lamenting the slow pace, trying to entice her along and missed out on some of the wonder. Now with my second child, I am still learning to relax but I have learned that the walks with my kids offer a different opportunity than a solo walk. I try to structure in my own time to get faster paced walks a few times a week. That helps me slow down and see what my kids find. Our lives have become so fast paced I welcome the opportunity to slow down.
Walking gives us a chance to experience wonder.
Today I walked with just the little one. We encountered so much wonder on our walk! Last year I walked around looking for the first signs of spring with her in my belly, waiting out the last few weeks of pregnancy while taking lots of walks and noticing the build of spring: the first snowbells, violets and crocuses which then led into blooming trees, budding leaves and daffodils a few days after her birth. This year I get to share these things with her. I can hardly believe this year has flown by so quickly and just revel in the moments when I show her things. Today we saw the first plum blossoms, many growing daffodil stems and a magnificent flock of geese. It’s amazing as a parent to watch someone so young discover, for the first time, the wonder of watching a flock of geese fly in formation. We heard the sound before we spotted them and when she saw them her face completely lit up with amazement and surprise. She followed them through the sky with her gaze while making tiny coos, baby words and chuckles.
All the of the above stated reasons are the things I want to teach my children. I walk with them too because I want us all to stay healthy, but even more than that I want them to see the community, understand what is going on around us, see that there are vulnerable lands and people in our city which desperately need our support. I walk because I want to be here, taking care of this city and this world with all of you.
​My recent post about hydration stations got me thinking. Water is great, water is essential... but sometimes you want to drink something other than water.
​Plus, I don't know about you, but sleep deprivation tends to send me on sugar binges. Which cause wild mood swings for me, and just bad times in general.
Strain into a mug and enjoy!
Since becoming a mom, it has been more challenging than ever to stay hydrated. Between nursing a baby and playing with (or chasing after) a toddler, I can easily find myself forgetting to drink enough water.
You know as well as I do that staying hydrated is essential to wellness. That's especially important during the summertime, when lots of sunlight and higher temperatures make our bodies need hydration more than ever.
How am I reminding myself to stop and get something to drink? A while back, I started a new strategy that is helping me win the hydration game.
​I started leaving jars of water around the house in a few locations. You can use water bottles, canning jars, whatever you have that closes securely). Leave them wherever works for you: a bathroom shelf, on your bedroom dresser, the kitchen table, by your desk, etc.
Breastfeeding a newborn, (sometimes) a toddler, and also pumping milk to donate to a newborn in need of milk takes a lot of hydration. With my hydration stations, by the end of the day this thirsty mama has been downing 3–4 quarts of water. I've been feeling a lot better—and I bet you will too.
Bonus: My hydration stations have also inspired me to make "movement stations" around the house! In addition to stashing a jar of water, I'll tape up a Mama Moves Card. While I'm getting a drink, I'll take a moment and do some movement too.