Guest post by Ken Myers:
When you think about teenagers you usually picture them with headphones in their ears and a phone stuck to their nose. However theses are often unhealthy and isolating behaviors that allow the teens to live in a world of their own creation. By exploring nature with your teen you can help to open up their views and understanding of the world.
One avenue to helping your teen to become more aware of the world around them is to take them camping. Camping is an opportunity to get away from technology and reconnect with nature over a weekend or even longer. Roughing it in the great outdoors will force your teen to become aware of necessities like finding food, shelter and a place to sleep for the night. By accomplishing these vital tasks together you can learn how each other thing and react to situations and become closer as a family.
Visiting the national and state parks are also an opportunity to get more in touch m=with nature. Many parks offer adventures that can help you to learn about wildlife, teach you how people used to live, or even let you look at the stars in an observatory. Best of all, these parks are a little oasis of calm in a busy world. Most parks do not have cell phone coverage or other amenities that teens have gotten used to, so it will force them to come out and explore their new environment.
Including your teens in exploration and discoveries will help to remind them that there is more going on in life beyond the everyday drama of their friend and celebrities. Life is more than just people and relationships, it is also about nature, beauty and experiencing the planet we live on.
Author Bio:
Ken holds a master’s in business leadership from Upper Iowa University and multiple bachelor degrees from Grand View College. As president of morningsidenannies.com, Ken’s focus is helping Houston-based parents find the right childcare provider for their family. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his three children and his wife.
