Raising outdoor kids

[Gseith]

I have two boys. One has no interest in any active sports. Loves to hike with me.
My older boy started hockey two years ago, and I have learned it’s a year round sport. He just made a AA team and has earned it with all his hard work. He also loves to hunt and fish. We just find time to fit it all in. I hunt a lot but won’t miss a game. I’m either rushing to watch or rushing out the door after.
It’s a little tougher to find time for him. Maybe I’m a bad parent, but I just take home out of school randomly through the year to go hunting.
Actually his best memories are when he shot a deer right before a hockey game. We were so rushed to get it hanging and cut up. Happened the last two years, trying for a third this year.

 

[Boarmaster]

I did both growing up. I went to a small rural school and playing school sports was part of representing our small community. I understand these days with all the club sports that it has changed. If my kid wanted to participate in sports then I would supoort them. But I would promote outdoor activities like hunting and fishing as well. Dont forget work as well as they get that age. I was fortunate to have a well balanced childhood and teen upbringing. It helped me have the proper perspective as a young adult.
There wasn't much down time for the young Boarmaster.

 

[strousek]

Both my wife and I grew up Colorado natives with very outdoorsy lifestyles. When we had our first child we were given some wonderful advice.

"Don't change your lifestyle to welcome your child. Welcome your child into your lifestyle"

We have two children, 10 and 8 now, that have lived their whole lives in woods and water. Our son has created a passion for hunting and fishing. Our daughter has created a love for nature and animals that is so beautiful. She has her hunters safety but no real drive to shoot an animal for herself. But as soon as we have an animal down, whether it be a fish or an elk, she is the first one to help gut and inspect how every part of that animal works.

Both of our kids play sports years round which is hard to juggle with hunting. But there is an easy balance to be had. We are very fortunate to live on property that we can hunt off the deck and also several private hunting and fishing opportunities within 30 minutes from us. I can definitely see how it would be harder for families that have more limited access.

Kids are like sponges and they will soak up the environment you put them in. We chose to make that environment mother nature and her blessings as much as we could.

 

[Chris in TN]

We are generally not fans of team sports, for reasons that get fairly complex and outside the scope of this thread. Each of our kids has been allowed to have their one activity they do that allows them to explore their own thing but thus far none of them have chosen a 'team sport'. More than one activity per kid would really stress the rest of the family and stress our lives. I don't want us to be that family always traveling for ball or spending every weekend on the road.

But we do other things:




Second picture was yesterday after eating supper. The oldest is becoming a great shot, the middle child is just now getting comfy with recoil above the 5.56 level, and the youngest still struggles with anything other than very short stocks because he's just not big enough for a proper cheek weld, even with a youth stock like the rifle pictured.

Afterwards last night we did a geometry lesson on why having the crosshairs level matters and worked out the math on how much it mattered per degree at different ranges.

 

[30338]

Daughter did volleyball up through school and son played golf. No travel teams, no summer leagues etc. Allowed for plenty of time for camping, fishing and hunting. Now both adult kids are always excited to go out with us fishing or hunting. It's been pretty nice.

 

[akcabin]

We don't live in town. And we homeschooled our kids and homeschool our grandson now. We also enjoy harvesting all we can get a chance at. Moose, bears, berries, n such. Raise a big garden. Have meat rabbits and adding chicken back in.
Our kids started going out in the bush as kids. We liked canoeing, fishing. Daughter used to request going camping n fishing for her birthday. Was great calling in sons first moose. Hopefully get Daughter n grandson out to the cabin in a couple weeks. Harvest her first moose. Son brought home 30 sockeye salmon recently. We took grandson salmon fishing, he had a ball. I'll take him out with me moose hunting. Be great to take him out n trap,some lynx this winter on snogos. He is taking archery lessons now. He's 8 years.
Yeah I guess they were raised outdoors. They can hunt, fish. And know how to process their bounty. They won't let me help process moose anymore. They make sausages and I get to cook test runs and sharpen knives. And their kids are following their footsteps. Yesterday it was raining pretty good out. I was piddling around. Turn around and there's our granddaughters, 3 n 5 in their rain gear. Do it regularly. Around here we have a saying. If you depend on the weather to do something your missing out. Just do it !
Kids today have more opportunity for social media n electronics. And that includes ours. But getting out is still important. And so is knowing about why we harvest wild game and how n where our food comes from. And how to prepare it. Including the garden n home livestock. Animal husbandry. Plenty of room for both.
I'll say that we just live in a different place. Our 2 kids n our grandkids are our next door neighbors. So we see each other daily, having family cook outs n such. Where the outdoors opportunities we have are used. For teaching how to take care of yourself. It takes time to do these things with the kids n grandkids. And sometimes the ol worn out body doesn't want to. Till I get there and realize how great life can be. For us and our family