LESSONS PARENTS HAVE LEARNT WHEN TREKKING WITH KIDS
Coming to the exploration trips, Tropical Trekking has witnessed many "shocked" cases of parents when they see how their little kids have become different from being at home.
Contact Tropical Trekking if you are interested in outdoor nature exploration tours for children.
Many parents let their children participate in trekking to become stronger and more confident after the challenge. Trekking is also considered an activity that connects family members. Not only do children become stronger, but so do parents thanks to the trips of discovery. There are many special things that parents have learned while trekking with their children.
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Consistently pursuing the goal
It is often said that parents are responsible for teaching their children to be good people. In contrast, parents also learn a lot from their children.
During the journey, parents realize how persistently their child has been with the goal. Although the trekking trail is difficult and challenging, they always have to walk, carry their own backpack, cross streams, sleep in tents and climb many steep slopes, make friends with leeches,... This is also a difficult challenge for adults, but children never give up. Many parents are surprised because their children climb the slopes faster and stronger than themselves.
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Trekking (and life) isn't about the finish line, it's about the journey
If we only focus on the destination on the journey, sometimes we get discouraged and give up halfway. But kids always know how to enjoy the journey. If they see something new along the road, they will stop to observe, ask and find out. whether it's a small flower, an orange beetle, or a bird singing, or an oddly shaped rock, it's fun to stop and study. Stop and enjoy the surroundings.
Children live for each moment. They have fun, laugh, relax, and enjoy every minute of being in nature. At this point, parents wonder if they spend all their time working, earning money, developing their career, worrying about the future so much that they forget how to slow down to have fun and better understand their children.
Trekking with children is the same, it doesn't matter how many mountain peaks you conquer, or how many kilometers you can walk, but more importantly the whole family has good memories, and enjoys the fresh air together.
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Think like a child
“To live better, sometimes we have to learn to be children before becoming adults.” - Nguyen Nhat Anh
Children's curiosity is a great source of inspiration. Because sometimes because they have to live too realistically, adults have forgotten their curiosity and love to explore the world around them.
Children are free to explore without fear, whereas adults are afraid of falling through the times of failure. The world around children is full of new things, they are constantly learning and learning. Adults think they already know enough, become conceited and find it difficult to open up to new knowledge. Being curious about everything around is a virtue that adults need to learn.
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Childhood innocence is what makes parents more confident in the beautiful world, isn't it?
Don't ever be an obnoxious helicopter parent - “Don’t do that!”
Before becoming an adult, everyone used to be a child, but adults seem to forget that.
When we were young, we often feared that our parents would be strict, forbidding all kinds of things, "You shouldn't do that!", "That's not good at all!", "Don't do that again next time!”, “Please!",...
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Playing with mud and dirty clothes a little bit is afraid of parents scolding. Children are so scared when they accidentally break the dishes. And even when they fell off their bike and got scratched, they were just afraid of being beaten when back home. Parents often tell their children not to do this, not to do that.
Instead of becoming a "difficult" parent, parents should let children be free to explore and have fun. Give them the freedom to run around the forest, play with dirt, be covered in mud, be wet after the rain, bath in a cool stream,... (Of course, these activities are all supervised by safety guides of Tropical Trekking). This is a good opportunity for children to be more self-controlled and aware of their own actions, thoughts and feelings on the path to adulthood.
Lessons parents have learnt when trekking with kids
Choose an environment that fosters creativity, adventure and world exploration. In the rainy, windy, hot, and erratic weather, the whole family shared and accompanied each other to overcome the arduous journey. These are memories that an ordinary family cannot have. Through all that is a solid condition for the first steps to help children grow up and help parents understand their children and themselves.