On social networks, more and more often you can find photos of happy parents conquering the mountain peaks with their young children. Inspired by these colorful posts with the slogan “life does not end after the birth of children”, parents grab their babies, run to the mountains and … cannot cope with the hike, morally and physically. Why is this happening?
Very often people on the net like to embellish reality. And not always, under a happy photo of a family with a small child on the top of the mountain, one can read about the difficulties they faced: tantrums, attempts by the child to put anything that comes to hand into his mouth, poisoning, diarrhea, etc.
It is worth noting that hiking here means a simple hiking trip that takes two or more days, autonomous and excludes mountaineering, water or ski trips and any other extreme. And, of course, these should be non-category hikes.
Why take children under 3 years of age on hikes?
Kids who have been on hikes usually do not remember anything about them. And there is no research to prove that hiking has a positive impact on the development and health of children. Yes, of course, fresh air, the opportunity to explore nature, new emotions and impressions - all this can have a beneficial effect on the child. But the risk also increases: he may get injured, eat a dangerous berry or plant, catch a cold, etc.
Therefore, the question arises: does the baby need hiking? Not! His parents need them. Parents take their child on a hike because:
- no one to leave with;
- he is breastfed;
- trend of fashion;
- the desire to just do everything together, because they are one family.
At what age can you take children on a hike?
There is no exact answer to this question. Some seasoned backpacker parents find it best to take their kids out on the hikes from birth. This is due to the fact that healthy babies sleep almost all day, feed on breast milk, and at night they can be easily warmed by putting them in a sleeping bag.
Age from 6 months to 1.5 years is more difficult. The kid still does not know how to walk, but he crawls perfectly, explores this world and tastes everything. Parents will have to wear it all the time and constantly watch to ensure that he does not eat anything and does not get an upset stomach. That is, one person will have to deal with camping life, while the other will keep an eye on the fidget. Moreover, at this age, kids usually do not eat from a common table, so you will have to take a separate menu for him. Age 2-3 years is unpredictable. On the one hand, the child is already walking, understands the addressed speech, can somehow show or talk about discomfort. In addition, children usually stop wearing diapers by the age of 3. But at this age, babies have a crisis of 3 years or "I-myself". They read to show their independence and initiative, where necessary and where not necessary, accompanying all this with hysterics and whims.
What difficulties can arise?
All children are different and individual problems arise. Therefore, every trip with a child under 3 years old is a lottery. And a successful previous trip does not guarantee that all subsequent ones will be the same. But what do parents usually fail to cope with?
- Nervous strain. At whatever age the baby is, parents will always worry about him. The baby's attempts to climb everywhere, stuff as much as possible into his mouth, accompanied by tantrums and whims, can lead to the fact that the parents simply lose their temper and break out on him. Therefore, it is better for nervous and anxious parents to postpone such activities until the child reaches a more conscious age. And for parents with a stable nervous system, it is better to take sedatives with them.
- Physical stress. On hikes, you have to take a lot of things for the child. These are diapers, food, and spare things for all weather conditions. In this case, almost the entire journey will have to carry the child himself, which can weigh about 15 kg. As a result, it turns out that even an easy route, which has been completed 100 times without a child, is physically difficult. Therefore, it is important not to overestimate your physical abilities and to plan your trip so that it is real or involves “retreat steps”.
- Problems with the organization of everyday life. As noted above, some of the parents will have to keep an eye on the child all the time, while others will put up a tent, prepare food, collect and disassemble backpacks. In this case, it is necessary to observe the regime and not forget about the daytime sleep. And not all babies can sit for hours in a special backpack or sling. And only experience can help here. At first, you can take long walks in nature with your baby, then arrange a hike with an overnight stay near the car, then gradually, step by step, complicate the hikes.
- There is nothing to keep the child busy on the hike. Babies at the age of 2, 5-3 years are no longer interested in playing with sticks, bumps or small toys taken with them. They want entertainment. And if parents cannot help them in this, children start to play naughty from idleness. And this is not always acceptable on a hike. It is important to figure out in advance what to do with the child. Someone attracts kids to help in everyday life (for example, to collect cones to set up a tent), someone reads books, someone plays outdoor games.
- Changeable weather. If before the birth of the child, parents could take a risk and go hiking without looking at the weather forecast, now they will have to always take this factor into account. And the child's clothing must always be appropriate for the weather. If it rains, the baby should be dressed in a raincoat and rubber boots. If the sun is hot, then the clothes should be breathable and lightweight.
- Diseases and injuries. The most important rule is that a child going on a hike must be completely healthy. If the baby gets sick during the hike, then you need, firstly, to have a supply of medicines in order to provide him with first aid, and secondly, to be able to deliver the child to the honey. institution. It is worth making sure that the phone book contains the phone numbers of local emergency services.
Thus, with a competent approach, a trip with a child under 3 years old can not only diversify the life of a mother on maternity leave, but also bring pleasant impressions to all family members. However, if the parents, before the birth of the baby, had little experience in hiking, they are encouraged to join organized groups. Experienced trekking instructors specializing in trekking with children will competently organize the trip and give parents valuable advice on how to prepare for them.
