I’ve found myself having to do this more and more each evening because my family is usually consumed in the movie they are watching, the video game they’re playing or the website they’re scouring.

Now I can’t put it all on them, I have my moments of screen consumption as well. But lately I’ve been bugged by it much more. I’ve become aware of the conversations with no eye contact, the “huhs and whats”, and the frustrating need to repeat things. And this is coming from a household where screen time is monitored and getting outdoors is encouraged greatly.

All this screen time and its side effects is causing concern to more than just me. Did you know there is now a  National Day of Unplugging to urge everyone to step away from the screen. This year its set for March 23-24. I encourage you to look into it. It might be something you and your family may want to experiment with.

The latest research by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the average child in the U.S. between 8 and 18 now watches more than 7 1/2 hours of entertainment media per day! And in recent years technology has provided us with multiple forms of screen opportunities in our home. And it’s no secret that it contributes to obesity. It’s hard for me to watch a movie without something to snack on in the process. And it just feels good to be lazy sometimes.

Click on this link and Watch these obesity trends change from 1985 to 2010. This amazing visual is provided by the CDC. In 2010 some states reported having up to 34% of its population being obese. Colorado was reported having the lowest obese population at 21%…anybody else want to relocate?

Here’s another obesity visual for you but this is specific to children and adolescents rather than adults:

That steady incline is hard to ignore. But it’s not fair to say all screen time is bad. I think I heard it somewhere that it’s like saying an ax is bad because you can kill someone with it. When in reality an ax can be used to cut firewood to stay warm or build a home to protect you. To me it all comes down to monitoring your time and use.

Here Are Some Ideas For Digital Detox:

• Put digital devices like phones in a basket during dinner and have a real conversation.
• Set aside specific screen time. (use an egg timer or you’ll enter the black hole of no return)
• Unplug more on Sunday so you can reboot refreshed at the beginning of the week.
• Say these four words…”Go Outside And Play”

Now as far as dinner time is concerned, I think I’ll be serving up a little digital detox of my own if they don’t come the first time I call. I’ll just save my breath and take my utility scissors to the cord…mwahahaha (evil mom laugh).

How do you monitor your families time and use of digital devices?

outdoors, digital detox, screen time, National Day Of Unplugging, research, obesity, trends, unplug

I can’t help but wonder what the third picture in this series will look like 10 years from now. Where will he be? What knowledge and values will he seek after?

Parenting is a humbling business. I’m far from knowing what it’s all about. But what I do know is this: we’ve never regretted the decision we made when our son came into our lives, that we would keep exploring the natural world and expose him to all it has to offer. I really think he’s come to love and identify with nature as we have. And that’s the first step in taking care of it.

What’s one thing you never regret doing with your children?

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Stainless Steal Baby Bottle – Klean Kanteen is famous for its line of stainless steal drinking containers and now they’re introducing baby bottles. The line includes a 5 and 9 oz. bottle and three different types of nipples. It can also double as a snack container.

Redesigned Kids Climbing Shoe - Mad Rock has had their fun mad monkey kids climbing shoe around for a while but they just released a new design which makes it more comfortable and user friendly. Priced at an affordable $39.

Kids Snowshoes - Redfeather has some kid specific snowshoes available that fit your toddler to your teenager. $35-$95

Infant and Baby merino wool base layer - stemming from more of a boutique scene are these beautiful infant and baby wool base layers from Nui Organic. The priceline is high but the look and functionality are there. Some of the line is a mix of merino and silk…mmmm yummy.

piggy backpack - This is a similar idea as the piggyback rider we introduced to you last summer but it has an integrated seat for whoever you give a ride to. The pack itself looks a little cumbersome and a bit too heavy but the creator assured us their working on another prototype.

Toddler Ski Helmet - Lucky Bums has a new ski helmet line for kids coming out next fall that features an appealing shape, easy adjustability and great graphics. The toddler helmet especially made my heart melt. This new line will cost a bit more than its original. [image coming soon]

Stylish Rain And Snow Suits - Ducksday is not available in the US as of now but their rain and snowsuits have spread across 100 countries already. And I can see why. The fabrics and designs used are parent and kid friendly. I loved the entire line which is spreading to snow gloves and summer wear!  I’ll let you know when you can get your hands on them.

Gear Hauler That Can Be Pulled By A Car - No longer do you need the huge SUV or truck to get your family, gear and toys to your destination. The Road Warrior is a multi functional light weight sport trailer that can be pulled by any 4 cylinder vehicle. It comes with a sleek looking outer shell but can be used to haul firewood just as easily as your camping gear.

Osprey child carrier - Osprey packs are a favorite of many so when they announced they were coming out with a child carrier I had to see it in person.

video

Tough But Cute Girls Winter Boots - Baffin is known for its heavy duty winter boots. Their kids boots usually have a masculine look to them with non-gender colors. This fall they’re introducing a more feminine line of girls boots without sacrificing that well known toughness. They’ve added a more girl friendly sole, cute colors and snowflakes!

[image coming soon]

Funky New Styles From Sanuk - Sanuk’s new line for kids didn’t disappoint this year. They have a kicked back outdoor lifestyle look and all of the new styles are easy for kids to put on and off themselves. I’m sure you moms can appreciate that when you’re trying to make it out the door. Here are some of my favorites…

The Outdoor Retailer Show was the biggest ever this winter and it was so exciting to see kids gear making a nice presence at the show. I’m sure that trend will continue as more and more kids head out into nature. Over the coming months we’ll be reviewing some of these products and having giveaways for you as well. So stay tuned!

Outdoor Retail Show, outside, outdoor gear, outdoors, kids, kids gear, latest and greatest, Sanuk, Klean Kanteen, Baffin, Road Warrior Sports, Redfeather, Nui
Lucky Bums, Piggy Backpack, Mad Rock, Ducksday

When we got up there it looked like there was a party going on that we didn’t get an invitation to.

It was exciting to see the wide range of activities everyone was participating in. And I’m pleased to say there were kids in almost every group we came across. I ended up just taking pictures, Damon cross-country skied with the younger kids and the older ones snowboarded and snow skated down a nearby hill.

While looking through the lens of my camera and focusing on all these people having a great time outside I realized the best thing about the outdoors is that you never need an invitation to explore it. It’s just waiting for us to come and play.

What’s the latest thing you did outside for fun?

XC ski, nordic, snow sports, snow, adventure, outside, outdoors, nature for kids, party, invitation, Utah, Mantua

And I was equally excited because this means we can go skiing during the day while the boys are in school, she can ski and I can carry her little brother in the child carrier.

Here are the 3 tips that helped Scout learn really quickly…

1. Start Without Poles - Poles will just get in the way at this point. When you’re little one is just learning you want them to focus on swinging their arms from front to back.

2. Ski On A Groomed Trail - Skiing on a groomed trail gives kids a feel for how wide their stance should be and a guide for their skis so there will be less falling down and crossed skis. Where we went there wasn’t a groomed trail so Damon skied in front while Scout followed in his tracks.

3. Pretend To Kick A Ball - Have them pretend to kick a ball with each glide they take. Their body weight is on their right foot while they kick the ball with their left foot. Their weight then transfers to the left foot as the glide comes to an end. Then they proceed to kick the right foot forward.

Scout picked up the cross-country ski movement really quickly. Once we went over the basics I let her loose to explore. She went up and down hills, in circles and even enlisted Kaiser in the effort…

Skijoring at its finest…

Once she started doing well with the basic skiing motion I added in the ski poles.

She had some tumbles and stumbles along the way but she didn’t seem to mind…

I hope you found this helpful! We’re headed out again tomorrow. I hear there’s more snow on the way! Yippee!

Do you have any favorite cross-country ski spots?

Gear Spotlight: On this outing Scout wore the Icebreaker pocket hat and over the calf snow socks. Icebreaker makes active apparel from New Zealand merino wool.

cross country ski, nature for kids, how to, ski, snow, teach kids, snow sports, skijoring, nordic, XC ski