I don't know what it is about being outside that turns kids on: the beauty, the fresh air, the hope of escape. For our kids, going out the front door is like flipping a switch. Literally.
For our three-month-old daughter, it's almost as powerful a cry-stopper as the infant activities of burping and pacifiers. I carry her into the yard, and she forgets what she was screaming about. I take her for a walk in a front-pack, and she falls off to sleep, her head bobbing as I walk down the sidewalk. She'll sit twice as long in her baby seat if I take her out where she can look up at the trees.
For our three-year-old son, climbing the local jungle gym has become the sane alternative to climbing our walls. When he starts whining, I start looking for my shoes. Tantrums on the cold hard ground seem a lot less attractive than on the warm, soft carpet. Besides, crying like a baby is out of character with his toddler games of pretending to dig for treasure, explore the woods or put out a fire.
A lot of other guys in the neighborhood seem to have figured this out too. At the end of the day, we all meet up at the playground or the basketball court and let our kids play. When mom's had enough of parenting, it may be time for dad to take it outside.
Bryan Taylor is President of EduGuide.