Do you walk with your kids?

Do you walk with your kids?

This post address the importance of walking with your child and shows some of our latest routes on the beautiful island of Florianópolis, Brazil.

Last year we really upped the amount of hikes we did with the boys. At ages 2 and 4 they were able to walk for up to two hours at a time through different terrains.

When I say walk what do I mean? Definitely not battling through a busy town center on a Saturday morning trying to get to six places before the kids have meltdown! What i mean by 'walk' is a meandering pace where the child takes the lead and has time to explore, ask questions and have some undivided attention. 

Chasing each other - parque corrego grande

We have always walked with the boys since they started those first wobbly steps (and before that in their pushchair or sling). The walks we did right at the beginning were at local parks or around the village where we lived. The time these walks took varied depending on their day but the idea was for them to take the time they needed. We were not on a mission to get anywhere specific or by any particular time but more to enjoy the process of walking. These first outings set us up for a love of walking. During these first walks they would stop every 30 seconds or so. Sometimes resisting the temptation to say 'hurry up', 'let's go', was really hard. But once we got into the swing of it we managed to control our adult need to rush. Often our walks would take us to visit the cows at the bottom of the road or feed the neighbors goats or around the park to see different things. Having a destination in mind did help them to walk a little faster but we had to make sure we have sufficient time for them to get pleasure from the journey.

Balancing stones

Now when we walk they collect small treasures (feathers, stones, sticks, leaves etc). They choose a snack to take with them (often fruit or savory biscuits or something we have baked). They often stop to look at insects or interesting stones etc. Yesterday on our hike to a waterfall they stopped to balance rocks like we had seen on a video the day before. 

Swimming in icy waterfalls

What we have noticed from these walks is how they develop their movement - climbing up rocks/hills, stumbling over a forest floor, balancing on a fallen log, basic walking and running skills. Climbing on park equipment is great but the challenge of climbing in nature is much more intense. The questions they ask is great. Yesterday we reached a waterfall where the boys had a swim in the icy water and they were curious as to why it was so cold. They came up with hypothesis such as 'maybe it comes from Antarctica' and when we explained they were fascinated. The questions don't stop there. Once we are home they often ask more about things we saw or other theories they have come up with. What better way to learn about the water cycle than experiencing it? Yes, we have been caught out in the rain before and at the time it can be pretty uncomfortable but they remember that walk the best and excitedly retell the tail to all who will listen. The other walk where a bird decided mummy was a bathroom and we had to wash a t-shirt in a puddle! 

Poucao - starting our walk

These adventures stay with them for years and the quality time we get with them is wonderful. The time and effort is demanding but worth every minute. So we encourage you to grab your backpack and have a super adventure. And if you do, send us a photo either here in the comments or on our facebook page.