them. Welcome their questions and
address their concerns.”
“Plan your adventures together,”
suggests Emma. Involving children
in the decision process allows you to
identify – and deal with – resistance
early, and also to get them more
involved and more invested in the
experience.
Dangers and limits
One of the biggest reasons many
parents don’t encourage their children
outdoors is the perceived risk of injury
or danger. Some of these concerns
are warranted, and Lloyd encourages
planning and preparation to combat
them. “Be sensible – always bring
plenty of water, protection from the
sun and plan well in advance.”
He also advises that parents
start slowly so as to find a child’s
limits. But he also warns parents not
to minimise risks so much that they
sterilise the experience. A bemused
Cosmo remembers a time when Codie
broke both arms in a completely
innocuous circumstance: “We were
getting ready to do a creek climb; we
had grippy shoes, helmets and gloves
on. Hudson went behind a tree for a
toilet break and got stung by a hornet
and let out a scream. He scared his
brother Codie so much, he turned to
run off and tripped and fell, breaking
both arms. We were stationary, on a
flat grassy area and he just happened
to land on his forearm on the only
rock in the whole area. Things can
happen anywhere – better to be doing
something fun.”
In our adult lives, we are often
rewarded for taking risks and it
should be no different with our
children: A child who is confident in
the outdoors is one who will be more
balanced, more resilient and confident
in life. Provided risks are managed
and challenges are kept sensible
and fun, every one of the outdoors-
loving parents interviewed here was
unanimous in their encouragement of
embracing the outdoors.
“Ultimately, the principles and
lessons learnt in the outdoors – the
importance of exploring our limits,
taking risks and being prepared – are
principles that a child can take into
their indoor life,” says Lloyd. “And
they stick with you for life.”
Food for thought
Running out of ideas to get your
kids outside? Don’t despair.
There are several organised
activities in Hong Kong that can
get your child started under
the guidance of experts. For
adventure racing, Team Fear
Junior Challenge (
fear.com) held in Discovery
Bay each year is a great way to
introduce children to adventure
racing; Action Asia Events (www.
actionasiaevents.com) hosts the
Hysan Healthy Hike & Run, which
includes a five-kilometre option
for families; and Lantau Base
Camp holds numerous youth trail
running activities (
.
lantaubasecamp.com).
Asia Pacific Adventures
works closely with many top
international schools around the
region to deliver youth outdoor
programmes to thousands
of children each year. If your
child has an opportunity to be
involved, embrace it!
June 2014
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