Less contact with nature

[froglegs]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s, when most of the entertainment options that exist today (cable, video games, computers, and when I was a teenager, internet) were all widely available. Of course I partook (and continue to partake) in all of these things, sometimes to excess, but there were three important things that my parents did that helped to turn me into a nature-appreciating and active adult.

From an early age, my parents (my dad in particular) took me out often (just about weekly) to do things in nature. This included hiking, fishing, camping, catching lizards, digging for fossils, going to the beach, etc. Even though I later went through the typical teen phase where I only wanted to hang out with my friends, being outside had become an important part of my life.... so I continued to do things outside with my friends.

My parents also encouraged us to play sports, in my case softball. From the time I was 8 years old until I graduated from high school, I was always on a team, or had just finished or was about to start a season. There were times when money was really tight, but my parents made it a priority for us to be able to play. The result of this was that I was outside running around for a couple hours a day, several days a week.

Also, my parents let us play outside. We didn't exactly live in the ghetto, but we didn't always live in the safest neighborhoods either. Still, they let us run around, ride our bikes and play with neighborhood kids.

[nancy sv]

I blogged about that article the other day!! (http://familyonbikes.org/blog/?p=126) I just find it so sad that most kids aren't getting out at all. I'm hoping our bike tour will encourage a few families to get out and do something!