It happens every time we go for a walk in nature.
“Do we have to?” It could be Savannah or Kalyra whining. You decide.
“It’s so boring.”
Is it? That’s interesting. What wouldn’t be boring to you.”
I don’t know, playing games and fun stuff.
My heart deflates a little with a, damn you society, with all your flashy gadgets pulling them away from the simplicity and beauty of nature and present moment awareness.
“I’m failing as a parent.” goes my usual inner dialogue. “I’ve got to get them out in nature more. I’m going to get an RV, unplug and dump the real world.”
I want to tell them that “
nature is the place where you’ll find the space to breathe and discover who you are. Nature will ground you and help you manage the ups and downs in life. It’s the equilibrium you need to survive and thrive. It will connect you and bring you stillness and joy. It does all of this without ever speaking to you, but just by being with you.”
I follow nature’s lead and say nothing.
“We’re here now. Let’s just enjoy this walk and see what we discover.”
The grumbles will last a little longer, as will my inner dialogue, but soon enough nature casts its spell.
They’re giggle and skipping, scrambling over rocks, laughing and cuddling. They’re admiring the views, pointing at lizards and learning from the trees (perhaps even hugging them like their momma does).
And the tightness in my chest has slowly evaporated with each step and long lingering breath.
I have returned to myself.
We finish the walk and they say
“You know that was actually fun. I really liked that after all.”
I can almost see the roots they have grown into the ground. They are balanced, centered, whole and happy again – naturally so.
Every single time is the same. The circumstances and the place does not matter.
The next time you feel yourself whining or stressed about how much you have to do. If the flashing lights of fun, busyness and crazy games takes you over, head into nature.
I know there are a million things you have to do but just give nature 10 minutes. Let her silently drag you in protesting. and lead you out singing.
Its all you need to learn you are okay, you are grounded, you are in control, and you can experience joy and move mountains through being more than doing.
All of which you need – her silent wisdom, breath and energy is stored in her dirt, her trees, and the fresh salty air.
Let her speak to you.
How does nature restore you? Do your children grumble about hiking or nature walks? Does their attitude change?
These are the weekly personal updates I share with my VIP email tribe. Plus, when you join us, you get a lot of insider tips and useful resources to help you travel more and create better memories. It’s all free too! Tell me what you want most help with in the box below and I’ll send you some free information on that topic! Join the community by clicking here.
This is a great reminder for us. Life is SOOOO busy and getting out in nature IS a real priority for us, but I feel like a failure sometimes too because it so often gets lost in other things. When I say that we are going to go out hiking, I get grumbles from the kiddos. When I tell them that we are going out on an adventure, they are more excited. For them, it is a matter of how it is framed.
They also grumble a little bit once we get on the trail, but soon they are busily finding rocks and turning over leaves to look for bugs and all is well in their worlds. Kids need to be plugged into nature. No one plays outside anymore. Even during the summer school break, there are no kids playing in the streets or in backyards. The neighborhood is strangely quiet and still. Being outside is a huge piece of childhood that is missing for much of this generation, and is makes me so sad and disheartened about the direction that the world is heading in sometimes.
Being outside is important for adults, too. Stress causes so many health issues today. Nature is an amazing stress reliever. We need to model for our kids a more balanced lifestyle that includes lots of outside time. It can’t just be a place that you visit on vacation, or once in a blue moon. It needs to be woven into the family lifestyle. This is what we strive for (though don’t always achieve).
BTW: I like reading these more personal pieces. I need to do more of this type of writing on my blog…it is the glue that holds everything else together.
Thank you Shanna! I really want to write more of these type of posts so I’m intending to make it more regular! I agree about the neighborhoods being so quiet. We were always outside playing with the kids in the neighborhood, I have so many great memories because of it. It’s sad that kids don’t do that anymore and how much adults hold them inside for fear of the dangers lurking outside. There really isn’t that many it’s just the news keeps reminding us that it is that way with the uncommon stories.
I had to laugh reading your post – it is the same for us. I have learned to just ignore the whining, no matter how insistent it is. I know that within 10 minutes of walking they will be happily exploring the trail. Sometimes mum and dad know best 😉
You are so right!! If only they realised it.
Beautifully writen. Thanks so much x
Same here! They complain untill the first break and after that they really enjoy it! But next time, same story again, so we take our first short break early 🙂