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We spent the evening together last night ... She is 10. I asked her some things she knew about mountains. She said they were big and beautiful. I asked her what she would do if we were up there camping and she got lost. Her first response was ... Go find some people or walk around until she found someone.
Guys, my heart sank. I almost balled. I held her tight and said ..
Sweetheart, this is why kids get lost. they start walking around and REALLY get lost. Even more than they are.
She asked me "Daddy ... what sould I do if this ever happends to me?"
I told her to STOP, DON'T GO ANYWHERE ... Find a place to sit down and don't move. Just blow that whistle and keep watching for any signs of others. keep warm and don't hide. Before you know it ... I or someone will be there.
She was serious and said ... "we should never walk alone in this life" We can get lost easy.
WOW!
I think we should be asking our kids about the mountains and see what there responses would be.
It really hit me hard!
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Wow! Good thing you talked to her!! I hope everyone else follows your example and goes home to talk to their kids too, specially with how much time our families spend in the outdoors.
I haven't spoken with my son about it yet, but maybe that's ok since he's only 11 months old anyway. [cool]
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For those of us who may work with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or other youth groups, this would be an opportune time to do some important training on what to do if you're lost.
If the events of the past week, and even past year have taught us anything, it would be that an ounce of prevention is worth TONS of cure--and sometimes even infinite cure can't overcome and absence of prevention.
I'll be laying on the prevention by the pound.
lurechucker
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That's very good advise. Kids thought process if very much different than ours, and if we don't tell them what they should do in certain situations, they will do what they think is best.
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The whistle necklace is now standard equipment for our girls in the woods. We too had the "if you get lost" talk. Its also about the only time that going to a stranger is better than not.
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I dont have any kids yet, my wife and I are still trying. I appreciate posts like this so that I can be a good father when the time comes.
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Yeah Clif, that is very unnerving but even more so with the "don't talk to strangers" talk.
My kids knew that if they ever got lost, they MUST stay in that area and do not move around. Just stay on a trail that people have used.
But I did instill in them the "don't talk to strangers" instincts, I had to sit down with them and tell them to throw that attitude out of the window for the sakes of survival skills which kicks in when lost on a huge mountian with its many pitfalls. The mountian will never be kind to lost children who are off the trails 75%-100% of the time, but a stranger can really help in getting off the mountian. My children understood that concept must be put to use once they become lost, and get the attention of any and all strangers for help.
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Hey Cliff, how's Idaho? Are you catching any bass?
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