As our Little Man begins to learn how to bike on the Strider, I’ve been thinking about being a beginner. In The Next Right Thing (Chapter 6), Emily P. Freeman shares some wisdom on being a beginner and urges us to not be “afraid of being a beginner.” I love her encouragement, and I think it can apply to nature play and adventures outside with our children.
When it comes to parenting and helping our children connect with nature, aren’t we constantly learning and growing? So maybe we aren’t a “beginner” in some areas, but then again, we can easily become a beginner on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon when our oldest informs us that he/she wants to take up rock climbing. And we’ve never climbed. And we don’t know the first thing about it. Gear? I don’t know. Lessons? Indoor? Outdoor? I have no idea! So sure, we’re not a “beginner” in some outdoor adventures, but this particular adventure? Beginner.
So what do we do when we’re new to something outside with our young kids? And reminder! This can be anything outside, from just getting out the door with our young ones in a natural, more wild environment to mountain biking or kayaking.
Embrace it! Maybe easier said than done. However, this is a prime time to ask questions and learn and find the joy in learning. And we get to learn WITH our little ones! In fact, when we’re beginning we can even take a child like approach. What do many four year olds do when encountering something for the first time? They ask So. Many. Questions. They feel it out. They wonder. Maybe they get scared. But there can still be excitement there. We’re not called or evolved to be fearless. We may still be scared, but we find the courage to do hard things, even when we’re scared. As Christy Wright says, “Do it scared.” (Different context but the point still applies to venturing out with ones littles.)
And here’s the thing. None of us get it perfect when we’re just beginning. We fail. If beginning to hike with your 11 month old, you might forget some snacks. Or the diapers. Or sunscreen. Or wipes. I’ve done all of that! And is the experience perfect then? Nope. But we learn. And adjust for next time. And find a system that works for us. And we keep trying.
Maybe the organization or process isn’t what you’re worried about. Maybe it’s that you yourself don’t have all the answers. Let’s look at hiking, one of the first outdoor activities many parents do with their little ones. Maybe you don’t know the names of every flower. What’s the difference between lichen and moss and graffiti? What bird is singing? Rachel Carson’s book The Sense of Wonder is a fabulous read and confidence booster if you are new to exploring the natural world. She urges parents to not worry about not knowing everything about nature. Rather, she writes:
“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the sense are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused – a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration of love – then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate” (pg 45).
So, I’m trying to embrace the beginnings in my life, whether it is with my kids or my own adventures. I’m working on embracing the emotions that come with being a beginner – the excitement, anxiety, fear, the rush, naiveness, the failures.
Right now, my children are not asking to try anything we aren’t familiar with, but I suspect that will change soon. Like with the climbing example above – I’m always just waiting for him to ask! 🙂 And then I’ll be a beginner again. And as my kids get older and yours get older, we’re naturally going to be beginners at some point. A 7 year old explores differently than a 1 year old. And so we continue to learn, to ask questions, to make mistakes, and keep exploring.
Do you have any tips on embracing “beginner” status? Please share! 🙂