Fishing is perhaps one of the most fabled outdoor activities out there, and for good reason. It’s not only about the competition of scoring the biggest catch of the day…fishing is also about bonding, experiencing the outdoors, and learning about nature.
There are many amazing reasons to take your kids on a fishing trip, and there are many ways you can raise your kids to love fishing!
One of the first things to do is to instill some love and respect for nature in your kids. Fishing is obviously an activity that is very closely related to nature and the environment. You can use this opportunity to teach new things to your loved ones. Tell them about the sea, the river or the lake.
Give them some fun facts about the fishes you see and show them how to treat nature with respect, but clean after themselves and don’t leave any litter behind.
By learning how to respect nature, your kids will also learn how to love it, and there is nothing better to achieve this than a fishing trip.
Fishing is also a humbling experience because it teaches children responsibility towards the environment.
Going to a grocery shop and buying a frozen fish filet, ready to be cooked is very, very different than going out there and fishing.
While fishing, your kids will have an amazing glance at the whole process. Preparing the hook and bait, waiting until they can catch something.
Witnessing all the effort it takes to lure a fish in…clean it up, cook it, eat it…the entire process will help your kids understand how the world runs, and that every little action could have a consequence.
This is a life lesson that can apply to many other things in life. If you are a fishing enthusiast yourself, I am pretty sure that you would love to share your passion with your children.
A great way you can do this is to treat a fishing experience as a coming-of-age rite of passage.
Fishing requires some responsibility, and it can be very appealing to children, particularly when they are experiencing that phase of their lives when they are moving from early childhood to teenagehood.
In these times of their lives, most children crave independence and validation…they want to be grown-ups!
A fishing trip is a great opportunity to make your kids feel like they are growing up, as you can give them some responsibilities: let them handle the hooks and all those things “you wouldn’t just allow a kid to do”.
This way, they will feel empowered and flattered, which will also make them love fishing even more.
This particular idea of allowing your children to grow up is one of the staples of the so-called “free range parenting” philosophy.
This particular approach to parenting involved allowing your children to experience life on their own terms, without being too closely guarded by parents and having room to explore the world and develop their own individuality.
Of course, this does not mean that you shouldn’t keep your children safe or keep an eye on them – but simply become less overbearing and controlling.
The idea is that if you show your children that you trust them enough to “go out there” on their own, they will eventually grow more confident in their own skills and in their own character.
When you go fishing with your kids, don’t treat your kids like toddlers. Make sure that they actually participate in the experience, as opposed to just allow them to stay on the sidelines and watch.
If your children do not feel included in the experience enough, they might start to resent it and they might shut down to the activity.
On the other hand, there are many amazing ways you can actually include your kids and make them appreciate their fishing adventure.
One of the best things you can do is to give them some tasks to handle. They will surely enjoy the responsibility and they will feel like you trust in their skills and ability.
At a young age, children look for validation and they are really keen on experimenting with what they can do.
Free-range parents understand that this particular behavior needs to be encouraged and not suppressed because it can become very instrumental in the growth of their children.
By trying their hand at new things, your kids will have the amazing opportunity and privilege to learn more about the world they live in and more importantly, about themselves!
Later along the line, you will certainly be grateful you allowed your children this possibility!
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