butitsadryheat wrote:

It is in young kids' nature to whine about all things hard and that require determination. I keep telling my kids that they are getting great exercise, and that "we only have a little bit to go" and they groan, but when we get to the top, or to the destination we were looking to get, they always want to stay a little longer and let a bit more sink in before we have to leave. It always turns out to be "my favorite trip ever," even though they complained the same amount as the time before. almost every trip has been a bit longer than the last, and they are growing to love it.

Norman wrote:I have two kids, one goes with me the other doesn't , but tried them both out as a teens. Try getting your kids to invite a friend.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:For what its worth I don't think all those e-devices are evil or even necessarily bad for kids. Actually I think the opposite. I think they are good and empower kids to be part of their society, to actually MAKE that society.

The ties that bind.

I can talk Leave it to Beaver with many of my generation, and using the language of the Beeve can exchange meaningful information.

Now imagine if I'd never watched any 60s television... now try to communicate to a BOOMER without a generational anchor... good luck with that.

Embrace the technology. Oh... have some rules, to be sure. But don't cast technology out with the devil... next you'll be ranting about zippers!

DMT

borut wrote:
The first pic is really tough, I thought.

borut

Sbrande wrote:Most of the best ideas have already been mentioned

3 Have them bring friends, or bring their fun crazy uncle

Sbrande wrote:Most of the best ideas have already been mentioned

1 Scrambles over long hikes (See this trip reoprt for my discovery of this principal: http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/399576/Scrambling-with-an-11-Year-Old.html

2 Lots of Food as reward at end of day
3 Have them bring friends, or bring their fun crazy uncle
4 Relax at night
5 Plan for Swimming holes along the way if possible
6 Rest day to do tourist stuff (mini golf etc)

phydeux wrote:

Sbrande wrote:Most of the best ideas have already been mentioned

3 Have them bring friends, or bring their fun crazy uncle

That's ME! I'm the crazy uncle that knows this stuff around L.A. Here's what my nephews/nieces have found fun and interesting:

Since you're in L.A., try some of the lower peaks with great views: Sandstone Peak and/or Malibu Creek in the Santa Monica Mountains, maybe the peaks around Big Bear Lake (crowded Bertha Peak or lonely Gold Mountain, both with great views on top). All are around 3 miles one way/ 6 mile RT.

Maybe drop a few $$$ and do the hike up Mt. San Jacinto from the Palm Springs Tram? Costly, and longer (11 miles RT at higher elevation), but the Tram ride is pretty cool for a noob, Round Valley Meadow looks cool, Wellmans Divide's view is great, and the summit view is always pretty spectacular for the first time. Also fun to go out to Josuha Tree NP and scramble around, drive up to Keys View for the great overlook of the Coachella Valley, and maybe mountain biking on the fire roads in the park, too.

Just some suggestions . . .

Alpinisto wrote:-Go at their pace. (I always have to watch myself here, as I'm a normally fast hiker.) Struggling to keep up with dad or make X miles in Y time to get to camp before dark prob'ly isnt' their idea of a good time.

-Make it fun for them. (We might enjoy "roughing it" in a bivy sack, but doesn't mean the kids necessarily will.) So far, I haven't made my kids carry their own packs yet, though they'll start with light loads this summer.

-Set low expecations at first, and then gradually work up from there. A fun two-hour afternoon hike will make them want to go out again more than a two-day slogfest through the rain and mud. (Hell, just getting the kids away from all the damned screens is a success in my book!)

-Know that, at the end of the day, all kids are different and some just may not dig hiking/climbing/camping and that's OK. Love 'em just as much anyway.

MikeTX wrote:
they both were complaining at the end, but they had fun exploring. exploring. ever since that day, i try not to use the h-word.

gbeane wrote:I have a 1.5 year old son (born exactly 18 months ago today, boy that has flown by). We've been taking him out hiking and snowshoeing since he was about a month old. He loves it, and I hope he still does once he is older (and daddy isn't carrying him any more). He also seems to like spending time at the family camp (gas lights, no running water). I've just started taking up rock climbing (this winter, so all my time has been in a gym so far), and hopefully that will be something we can do together when he is older.

There was this one traumatizing hiking incident, but he forgave me pretty quickly - I was hiking with him in the fall in Acadia National Park, he was small (born in August, a month early) so he was still in the chest carrier, but had graduated to facing forward. I took a spill and caught myself with my hands with his face about an inch from the ground. When I was going down all I could picture was a broken nose at best, but he escaped without injury. That was one of the worst feelings in the world.