Walk properly with baby and toddler
Walk properly with baby and toddler
Hiking is fun, healthy and often gives us fantastic nature experiences. This also applies to walks with our children. However, it should be prepared appropriately. Otherwise, the hiking pleasure quickly becomes "stress in shoes".
Hiking is the miller's delight! But what if the miller wants to take on not only a woman, but also the offspring on the move? Then he has to prepare differently, as if he went off alone. Hearty home-style cooking and a delicious beer, which sweetens the rest, may still find room in your backpack. But it is much more important if children are to go hiking.
Hiking with the little ones
Even babies can be taken on hikes. The question of what they actually get or not, is not so important. In any case, nothing speaks against taking the smallest of the family on the hiking tour. They are often even less complicated than older children. Because they sleep a lot and therefore are a low stress factor. However, that can develop very quickly if you take the wrong stroller with you.
Walking with a stroller or baby carrier
Cars are adapted in the winter with appropriate tires to the weather conditions. In the warm season then the summer tires are back. For the stroller is similar in a hike. He must be adapted to the external circumstances. The choice of different prams is so big that you can hardly decide, without advice is usually nothing. But for the walk helps the distinction between two types of strollers. The first variant has quite small wheels. It is suitable for staying in the city or if you want to drive paved roads. On paths that are not even flat, it quickly reaches its limits. Strollers with larger wheels are better suited here. With them you can also master meadows and dirt roads successfully.
Especially for small children, the stroller alone is not enough. A sling or a baby carrier should go in any case with the tour. If the little offspring needs extra closeness, they will feel better in it than in a stroller or on their arms.
Hiking with small children
If the children are already out of the buggy age, of course, they can even boots with hiking boots. However, there are some points that should be considered. It starts with the length of the hiking trip. Depending on the age and temperament of the child should not be exceeded three to four hours. However, great distances should not be sought in this period, because children perceive their environment differently - more intensively - than the adults. They explore everything with prying eyes and do not put much emphasis on reducing the distance between A and B as fast as possible. Rather, they want to look closely at everything that is available to them. Hiking should therefore move into the second row of the priority list, the experience itself is in the foreground.
Rest breaks without rest
Those who go hiking with their children must be prepared for the fact that they need a lot of breaks in order to process the experience. However, that does not mean that they sit silently under a tree, look dreamily into the sky and let their thoughts wander off. Children choose a different method: they play. You should therefore choose the places for the hiking breaks so that they a) are as safe as possible and b) offer the chance to play. Those who have prepared well may have already thought through small games or have thought about where the breaks are particularly attractive (for example on playgrounds, streams or animal enclosures).
A few more tips
Hiking with children is only exhausting if you approach the cause with the wrong expectations. If the attitude is right, you will have a lot of fun with the little ones. If you stick to a few things or include them in the planning, it will be a really successful hiking trip:
The A & O is of course the right tour. It should not be too long, should offer both children and adults something and meet the conditions (for example, a mountain tour is certainly not for a stroller).
- The season and the weather play an important role. Even when it's raining, you can have a lot of fun, if you're dressed properly. But if it rains for four hours, the fun factor is put to the test.
- The right clothing, the right footwear and hiking maps are important (although there are of course now also apps, but the good old Papierfaltkarte has just a very special charm).
- Should the visit of huts or restaurants be scheduled, it is important to inform yourself in advance about the opening hours.
Tick and sun protection should not be missing either.
It is rare that something happens on hiking tours. You should still be prepared. A first aid kit should not be missing. It's like "Murphy's Law" - you always need it if you do not have it. Then better carry a superfluous set with you.
I´m looking forward to your experiences and additions.
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