How am I ever going to keep climbing / backpacking / skiing / camping / biking after I have kids? I can’t push myself as hard as I used to or go as far as I used to now that I’m pregnant! It will never be fun again! My friends / coworkers were right, I’ll never do anything outdoors again! Life is over!
Obviously most of that is not true, exploring the outdoors with kids is amazing. It is just a lot different – sometimes much harder and sometimes way better. Here are some tips on adjusting to being an outdoor parent:
Preparation while pregnant or waiting for adoption:
- For pregnant moms: lower expectations – work on just being happy to do things even if you can’t do them to the level you used to.
- This is much easier said than done, but remember you’ll get stronger again after the baby comes
- Prioritize spending time with any outdoor parent friends you have and start watching how they do things with kids
- If you don’t have any outdoor parent friends, look into joining a group like Hike it Baby
- Get any gear needed for outdoors for the first year
- Specifically: baby backpack carrier, baby bike seat/trailer, snowsuit
- Look for deals on used items – we have found a lot of good deals if you are patient
- Make plans for an outdoor adventure to do after the baby comes and put it on the calendar – this forces you to get out there, even when you’re sleep deprived
How to adjust to doing things with babies:
- In general, lower expectations (just like for pregnant moms)
- Prioritize spending time with any outdoor parent friends you have, or look into joining a group like Hike it Baby
- Hiking:
- Hiking is a good transition activity because it’s fairly easy to do with babies, just be ready to stop often to feed/change diapers
- If you’re nursing, bring extra water because you’ll be thirsty, and be prepared to stop often or practice nursing the baby in the carrier
- Camping:
- Put the kid in the car seat or in a travel crib at the campsite while you set up camp or cook dinner
- Many babies love hammocks
- Bring a table seat for feeding
-
Something warm for the baby to sleep in, such as a fleece sleep sack (instead of a sleeping bag for small babies)
- Sleeping bags only worked with our kids at about 3 years because our kids moved too much and came out of them, but might work for others sooner
- Other options: have the baby sleep in the parent’s sleeping bag, or bring a crib size quilt
- Some babies sleep better in a travel crib in the tent
- Climbing:
- Outdoors:
- Bring at least one extra person so someone can take care of the baby
- Try bouldering (even if you didn’t do it as much before) because you can sometimes do without a third adult and don’t need much set up time
- Indoors:
- Put your baby in an infant car seat while you climb at the gym
- Time belays to when the baby is happy or sleeping
- Outdoors:
- Biking:
- Trailer or baby seat – but you generally need to wait until they’re about 6 months old for a helmet and to use the bike carriers
- Carry them in baby backpack or front carrier if you feel comfortable
- Skiing:
- Cross-country:
- Take baby with you in a baby backpack
- Downhill:
- Parents can take turns, use radios to tell the mom when nursing is needed
- Have the baby sleep in the car seat or in a wagon in the lodge
- Cross-country:
How to adjust if you waited until the kids are bigger before getting back out:
- Keep doing it – they will eventually start whine less
- If you like several activities and the kids like one activity better, encourage the one the kid likes and maybe do the others less for a while
- Remember everything changes with kids every few years – if they don’t like your favorite activity now they might like it later
- Tailor the activity to the kid – look for places to stop on your hike/bike ride that the kids like or bring things for them to do while they’re waiting
- Bribe them with snacks – you can taper the snacks off over time as they enjoy the activity more
- Bring other kids for them to play with
- Take lots of breaks
- Develop routines and have gear always packed so you can get out the door faster
How to find time to do things without the kids:
- Put them in classes while you do the sport
- Great plan for skiing, but usually after they’re 3 years old
- Some resorts offer infant daycare but it’s expensive
- Date nights:
- Get a babysitter and spend a night at the gym or going out for a ride
- Date lunches:
- Workout together while kids are in daycare
- While on maternity/paternity leave, meet the working parent for lunch and have one parent workout while the other gets quality time with baby
- Take turns:
- Go solo or go with friends
- Go on a trip with another adult and have the parents take turns
But whatever you do, don’t listen to the naysayers who think that the outdoor life is over once you have kids. It may take time to adjust, but that is just part of becoming parents. Keep getting out there and it will keep getting easier.
