Hiking With Toddlers – How To Set Them Free

Taking kids anywhere can be a challenge. Now try hiking with toddlers. They have their own ideas about how to do things and you have yours. On our last hike we wanted Emery to hike by herself. We took her out of the pack and let her “free”. It made for quite the experience, but one that we will do again and again.

Have you ever taken your kids somewhere and about five minutes into it you are ready to throw in the towel? When we are hiking and take Emery out of her pack and set her “free” we hit that five minute mark and I am ready.

She starts whining and complaining and I want to be done. We most frequently hear; I’m tired, its to hard, I’m hot, I want to ride in the pack, or I want you to carry me. Sounding familiar? I am sure you have heard some of those phrases before.

Often times it gets annoying and frustrating and I want to give in and just put her back in the pack. It would make the hike so much faster and much more pleasant.

We want her to be “free” though. We want her to learn and experience things up close. We want her to know that she can do things even if they seem a little hard. We want her to trust in herself and keep pushing even if she is a little tired. We want her to know that she can do things without us having to carry her.

When she is in the pack she is limited to sitting and only seeing her surroundings. When we let her out she can get up close and personal with dirt, rocks, snow, trees, bugs, and flowers.

She can run, walk, skip, and jump. We have found that even though there is more complaining while out of the pack, she also has more fun when exploring and experiencing the hike for herself.

Initially it may seem like a horrible idea and I question if we should even do it. In the end though, it is always worth it. It is worth it to see the smile on her face when she finds a new flower. It is worth it when she finds a puddle to splash in and her laugh echoes through the trees. Let your kids experience things for themselves and take a back seat. Set them “free” and watch them experience everyday life.

-Adam and Paige

P.S. We love adventuring together. We hate being tied down.   Learn how we became digital marketers to live life by design.

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