Why Taking Your Baby Hiking Is NOT the Worst Thing in the World
“ Why would someone bring a baby all the way out here? ”
As a parent to a now one-year-old bundle of energy, hiking has always been part of the plan. My wife and I decided long before he arrived that we would raise our children in the outdoors to the greatest extent possible. Instead of signaling the end of our outdoor adventures, co-parenting would simply become a new chapter. Once our son reached two months of age, we consulted with his pediatrician and received the “green light.” It was time to leave the nest and embark on our first family hike. As we walked on a beautiful trail close to home, I watched my son carefully. He was mesmerized by the different sights and sounds. His eyes captured the scenery with such focus as if he was consciously taking it all in to paint later.
Over time, his attentiveness to colors and his alertness to sounds has grown. To see him grow from taking in new sights and sounds to engaging with nature has been such a beautiful shared experience—one that I never thought could be dampened until we began to receive judgmental stares and criticism from other trail users.
“Why would someone bring a baby all the way out here?”
“I don’t think it’s safe to have such a small baby out here.”
“Wow! Some parents don’t think about their baby’s safety.”
“Did you see that baby? Dear god, that’s just asking for it!”
Just to name a few. The reality is that we have always prioritized our baby’s safety! With proper preparation, it is safe to have such a small baby out on the trail. And to save everyone’s time, energy, and emotions, I’d like to present a few good reasons why taking your baby hiking is NOT the worst thing in the world.
Hiking with my family in Arches National Park, UT.
For a baby’s development…
As my wife, who is an Occupational Therapist for Early Intervention, likes to mention, hiking provides babies with an environment where sensory information can be processed at a higher rate than in a controlled setting. Seeing our baby progress from simply observing to touching, playing and interacting with nature confirmed this very early on. When babies get to see things outside of a controlled setting it allows them to construct linkages and learn more about how things work around them. According to a 2014 European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research study, this can boost language development and basic motor skills. By exposing babies to hiking spaces where people talk, run, jump, climb, and move in different ways, these motor skills can be developed.
For a baby’s immune system…
Babies are stronger than we as adults give them credit. While it is very important to consult with a doctor before taking a baby on a hiking adventure, research continues to support that babies who are exposed to the outdoors are less likely to become ill. In addition, one common misconception is that keeping your baby indoors is safer than exposing them to the outdoors. An entire country—Iceland, manages to prove otherwise. Babies in Iceland commonly nap outside in freezing temperatures. A study in the 1990s proved that this approach to parenting strengthened—not weakened—a child’s immune system. As a family who has hiked in all types of weather, all four seasons and many different terrains, we know firsthand that hiking in these environments is not detrimental to a babies health.
“Did you see that baby? Dear God, that’s just asking for it!”
For a baby’s family…
As positive as hiking can be for babies, hiking is also extremely positive and beneficial for the entire family. When friends and family ask, “why do you take your baby hiking,” we constantly struggle to answer this question in a simple way. It’s not that we don’t have an answer, we actually have too many answers.
While the benefits of hiking can vary from family to family and from person to person, here is a good list to refer to the next time this question is posed.
Repeat after me:
For my family’s physical health. We get to exercise and enjoy nature at the same time. How can you argue with that?
For my family’s mental and emotional health. Hiking for at least 20 minutes easily improves a person’s mental health and overall well being and can help improve symptoms of self-esteem, depression, anxiety.
To learn from the natural environment. Hiking exposes our family to the rich biodiversity of our local ecosystem. Learning something new on every hike strengthens our family’s love of nature and support for conservation.
To connect with the world around us (whether it is a spiritual or religious connection, or human connection).
To unplug! Technology takes up much of our lives. Spending time together in nature helps us decompress and detox from technology.
To strengthen our connection as a family. What better way to learn and grow as a family than by creating memories on a hike.
For our family. We love to hike, and the opportunity to share what we love with our children is too good to pass up.
Hiking with a baby can surface a lot of emotions and questions: Do we have enough wipes, diapers, snacks, and a change of clothes? What will the weather be like? How strenuous is the hike? And most importantly, is our baby going to be safe? These questions are not only questions, they are a list of essentials when it comes to taking babies hiking and on any outdoor adventures.
While many parents go through similar checklists to ensure the safety and comfort of their baby, too many of us have encountered strangers who question our judgment and parenting skills. After encountering criticism more often than I could have ever imagined, I now respond by saying
“…My baby’s fine. And you are going to be fine too.”
Feel free to use it…