Traditional parenting?

[NeolithicMan]

I love the outdoors. anything and everything about being outside, away from hustling bustling roads and buildings, away from most people, makes me happy, peaceful, in tune with nature. I was always outside as a kid and still havent come back or grown up! My first wood working project was a switch. My dad showed me the outdoors with a camping trip here, a quiet morning in a tree stand there but I did not learn very much. Tree identification, wild edibles, animals and their lives, or how to really make anything. This is not to bash my father, but to point out how much knowledge I feel we are losing with every generation. Simple things that are not only useful but may be potentionaly life saving.
I have a two year old son now, who absolutely LOVES being in the woods any time of year and discovering all sorts of critters and plants. I try to have him learn something every time we go out which at this stage is pretty easy because everything is still new. This weekend he wanted to carry his new bow around with him just about everywhere. So we learned how to carry a bow safely and sneak through the woods looking for animals. he said he was "lookin out a turkey bud", two year old with a cold looking for turkeys with a little bow is quite awesome.
This now fairly long post was supposed to be a small rant on how I think there is basic knowledge being pushed aside for new world technology and social practices. I am sure being on this site means you feel some what similar and I would like to hear other peoples ideas on teaching children how to be a real outdoor, more self reliant happy person with out forcing or badgering them.
So thats my speech/rant/question, thank you all for reading.

Heres my little woodsman and his new bow learning... I hope

[Gsulfridge]

That's awesome!! Way to pass it on.

[finefirewood]

That is awesome right there!! I can really relate to your experiences as well. I grew up in the woods and get out as much as life allows now (wife and 3 active teens doesn't leave much time!), and always try to teach them something new every time out. Shoot, I still learn every time I go out.

I also teach a group a tweens/teens and take them camping and such a few times a year to put into practice what we cover in a classroom. The thing I notice most is they are all sponges! Even the "difficult" kids get caught up in the bewilderment and curiousity when they get outside. Whether it's dads that don't have time or knowledge, or are non-existent in their lives, I have a calling to teach them about God's creation and how we are to take care of it and enoy it. We even get their dads out as often as we can, and most of them are as bewildered and curious as the kids! I love passing on the knowledge my father and grandfathers have passed to me, and it seems to be taking root pretty well.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to let you know you are not alone, and give encouragement to continue pouring into your son and his friends when he is older. Great job and keep it up!!

FF

[skarhand]

It is too cold to do much out side right now. I love to take the kids to the library now in the cold winter months. My 7 and 5 year old went with me last weekend and we picked up this book to start planning for spring:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Kids-Guide-Building-Forts/dp/0943173698

We already have a few spots picked out in the woods behind our house.

[kleinpm]

My son is the same way. He is five and will be six in a few months.

He has tagged along on an antelope hunt (when he was 4), can tell deer tracks from elk tracks, where to set a rabbit snare, black bear and grizzly tracks, different kinds of fish, birds and reptiles and the list goes on.

His friends know nothing except video games and movies.

Patrick

[JW_Halverson]

It's all about spending enough time together that the character you have EARNED and LEARNED rubs off on the kid.  If they spend enough time with you that morals and ethics are seen as the norm, then that is what they will become. 

A two year old with a bow in his hands stalking the woods seems a good start to me.

[Japbow]

      The look on his face says it all!
      Pass on the teachings.

       Japbow

[wildman]

There is no "App" for that!

[Marks]

There is no "App" for that!

I realize this is a joke but I just commented on Squirrelslingers tech thread and got me thinking. My dad is a farmer. As kids I spent a lot of time with him on the farm but we stayed busy with farm stuff and we didn't do a lot of woods learning even though I stayed in the woods and grew up playing along the creek. The last few years I've done a lot of learning from the internet. That's why I'm on here and other forums. I've kept a garden, made jelly, pickles, maple syrup, learned tree IDs, trained 2 squirrel dogs, making hot sauce, took up jug fishing, and the list goes on and on. The internet doesn't replace the hands on learning from a dad or other mentor but I've really tried to pick up outdoor knowledge from the internet. Soooo, there is an app for that kinda.

Back to the post at hand...as a new dad, that pic is cute as can be. I went to the processor last night to pic up a deer and hog I killed. One of the workers had a 3 yr old helping out that cracked me up. He had his boots on and was actually contributing. He was feeding meat into a packer. He insisted on carrying one of my bag of meat to the car for me. I look forward to passing on what I know to my son. Kinda make me feel all warm and gooey inside. 

[Mohawk13]

Grew up on a farm, Milked real cows, planted real crops, fished in a real pond...If You are letting your kids do all of this on a computer while you are out hunting or fishing...You have a real problem and are not helping your children or our heratige. Get 'em ou from in front of the boob tube, put a real bow(not a WEE controler) in their hands, and teach them some skills they can use...

Nice photo of the Young Hunter with His bow...You are moving him in the right direction...

[NeolithicMan]

Funny you should mention kid butchers and hog; I aquired half a pig that had been skinned and thats it. I set up the kitchen island with all my tools and had turned to wash up when I heard a chair being dragged across a floor. my little man hopped up and said "I cut da pig, big guy helpa daddy" so i gave him a hack saw (dulled blade) and let him "help" . Did a little hand over hand work too!

[lostarrow]

It is too cold to do much out side right now. I love to take the kids to the library now in the cold winter months. My 7 and 5 year old went with me last weekend and we picked up this book to start planning for spring:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Kids-Guide-Building-Forts/dp/0943173698

We already have a few spots picked out in the woods behind our house.

 Get 'em out there, even if short bits in the cold weather. Good to learn about that before you need it ,too. Outside is there all year 'round , and best of all ,no mosquitoes this time of year.  Easier to track in the snow too, You'll see plenty of things you wouldn't see the rest of the year as well. Good time of year to find wolf and coyote kill sites.

 Great job ,Neolithicman. Teach them everything you know and what you don't know ,you can learn together. When you grow up learning these , you have a lot less stress in your life. (I find) When you know how very little it takes to survive and be comfortable , you aren't worried about losing the modern conveniences of life.
    Maybe your Dad didn't teach you all of the things you would like , but most importantly, he inspired you to learn!
I know myself I would like to spend a lot more time in the bush with the kids but sometimes  the rest of life gets in the way. Keep doing what your doing ! Every moment counts.

[Pappy]

Don't think I intentionally tried to teach my son a lot,I just kept him with me in what ever I was doing  hunting/fishing/working in the shop or on the farm from the time he was big enough to walk through his teens years [until Girls and colleage kicked in]  It's tough for some dads to do that because little ones do cramp your style and are a lot of trouble sometimes but they will pick up what they need to know without you even trying,seems if you try to teach they think
it ant fun but if they watch and learn then they are proud to show you what they can do. Biggest thing is to spend the time with them IMO. Miss Joanie and I  had a plan,she would take care of his school/education and religion and I would take care of the real world stuff,worked for us and wound up with a well rounded young man for a son. 
   Pappy

[bowtarist]

Got two boys of  my own, 9 and 6, and we live in the woods. Creek in the front yard, can hardly keep them out of it even in this cold weather. I have been taking my boys outside since the first days of their lives, no matter the weather. Neither of them ever seem to get cold. Mom is more worried about how they dress than I am. "Cavemen didn't wear coats!" is what she gets, but then I jump in and say, "No, but they wore furs." Both my boys go out scouting w/ me and we always check out tracks in the mud in the snow or where ever we find them. We do maple syrup too, anything to get them outside in all seasons. My oldest has been going to 3D shoots w/ me too. Neither of them has been deer hunting yet though, but my 6 year old is determined to kill a deer before big brother. You are doing the right thing. these times are the most important to give them a respect for the natural world. I whole heatedly believe that.  Even when we cut some thorns off a honey locust last week we all said a short prayer and a thank you to the tree.  Keep um outside as long as you can, it will pay off in the end and they will never forget you for it.  Great job!! dp