The Great Outdoors...

This morning at the cabin, while Cadence was still sleeping, the older kids were getting restless. Chloe, LB (little Ben), and Reiley were noisy and fighting over who watched what show. So they all got dressed and we kicked them out. Made them go outside and play. Gave them three rules, 1) stay together, 2) stay where you can see the cabin, and 3) don't go on anyone else's property where there is a house.

I figured these rules would suffice, when I was a kid my brother and I explored these forrests in and out. Discovering all kids of special places like the big pile of rocks and the tree house behind the county fence line. Little did I know the didn't really need any rules at all. Because THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY OUTSIDE!

After a brief walk around the cabin, they were ready to come back in and watch TV or play video games. We said no, we are at the cabin to play outside because we can't play outside at home. So we sat on the patio and watched them do laps around the path of the cabin. Maybe it is because this is the first time they are here playing, but they kept asking to come inside and saying they were bored. What happened to the stick fencing or rock climbing or pinecone collecting that we all did outside as kids? What happened to the exploring we all remember?

When we were kids and our parents were sick of us, we got kicked outside. Told to go play outside with friends. We did and we stayed out of trouble, mostly. Today, when we are sick of our kids, we turn on the boob tube because we are scared to let them out of our site for even a second. But if we don't let them experience things for themselves, to fall down once or twice and learn not to jump on rocks in flip flops, they will never learn.

On Sunday, when we return from the mountains and the kids are underfoot, I am going to try to remember this lesson and to encourage the kids to play outside more. To take adventures in their own mind, not the writers of their favorite shows! Here's hoping all goes well...