After months of grey skies, the weather here in Cortland County is finally looking up. Spending time in the great outdoors is an excellent opportunity for you to connect with your teen in a—excuse the pun—more natural way.
This might be a surprise to some parents, but the 2020 survey of 7th-12th graders found that over 80% of teens in Cortland County report they enjoy spending time with their mother or father!
Open communication builds trust and the low stress environment of these activities can lead the way for conversations about their friends, hobbies, and their goals in life without the pressure of sitting down for “a talk.”
Establishing communication on everyday topics, and talking with your teen without lecturing them, can increase the likelihood they will come to you when they need help or are faced with a difficult situations such as attending a party where there might be alcohol.
These activities can provide you with the space to really listen and learn from your teen.
#1: Clean Up Your Street
Spring melting often reveals fast food wrappers, tossed masks, and other trash along our roadsides and streets. Planning a family trash clean-up gets you outside and moving, all while taking pride in how your community looks. Make it even more fun by exploring a street you’ve never walked on before, making it a competition (who can pick up the most trash), or creating a trash bingo board.
Trash clean ups can also facilitate discussions on environmentalism with your teen. Use this opportunity to engage your child in conversation about other issues they may be passionate about—whether they be individual level (i.e. friendships) or global (i.e poverty).
Check out this article for specifics on planning a trash clean up: https://www.upstreamparent.org/?p=1315
#2: Go for a Hike
Central New York has so many great hiking opportunities. Get your teen involved in the planning process by having them download the All Trails App which allows you to look up nearby hikes, read reviews, and record your hiking distance and elevations. Hiking is an excellent way to get a couple hours of alone time to connect with your teen.
A few of my favorite hikes are: Tinker Falls Upper (7.5 miles), Lime Hollow Trail System (short and longer hikes for all abilities), and the Groton Trail Loop (3.5 miles).
For more info on these hikes: https://www.upstreamparent.org/?p=1187
#3: Get Crafty, Naturally
My most memorable high school project was the pressed leaf collection assignment for Biology. I spent hours scouring the grounds of our high school trying to find the most unique flowers and leaves to identify and press.
As a family you can, collect leaves and flowers, press them in a book for a couple of days, and display them with frames or on homemade greeting cards. Check out these tips for a pressed plant collection: https://www.upstreamparent.org/?p=838
