Summit Notes: Parents and Parenting

Convener: April Hoy

Educating parents – use doctors and professionals
Taking education to everyday lives, for example educational pieces in the grocery store relating the food to its natural origins – milk to cows, etc.
Public Service announcements. Could emphasize nature in your own backyard and neighborhood. Even in urban areas, you can still see the phases of the moon and the changing of the leaves.
Adult camp, to renew the sense of fun and wonder, and for those adults who didn’t get the outdoor/nature camp experience. So they can pass that on to their children or understand why to send their children to outdoor camp.

PRESCRIPTION for outdoor play. In Illinois, doctors participated in a promotion where they wrote a prescription for outdoor activity, and attached a bike trail map.
We could do something similar with nature opportunities.

Also use teachers. One teacher in the group said he assigns playing in nature for homework.

Start where parents are. Don’t judge parents for not being inclined to do nature activities. Relate to what they ARE doing. Use pop culture and technology. Geo Caching is one example. Or use of the Survivor show to create fun activities and excitement for outdoor skills.

Showing parents it’s not hard – it’s fun! It’s not scary, it’s peaceful. Debunk myths about playing outdoors. Encourage interactive parenting, rather than trying to keep the kids busy so you can get things done. Play WITH them.

Use nature activities to combat the stressful culture of parenting, not to add one more thing parents aren’t doing right. Nature is something you need to do for your children AND it’s fun and relaxing for both of you. Not another appointment.