Mind

Where to go, with children: KIKI

Text & photos by KIKI

2022.09.05

Outdoor in nature to take my kids with. Small mountains, forest trails, the hills near us. Pleasure of seeing places from a different perspective.

Skiing, snowboarding, trail running... I love all these outdoor activities that bring me close to nature. I am especially passionate about mountain climbing, which has now become a source of worry since the birth of my child. My eldest daughter is 3 years 7 months old, my second daughter is 11 months old, and we also have a 4-year-old Shiba Inu “Tsubaki" to complete the family.

So, it is extremely difficult for all four of us to go mountain climbing together. The children are growing up so quickly which means everything changes from day to day. including the places we are able to go, the distance we are able to walk together. If I wanted to take Tsubaki too, I would struggle to know where to go.

While I don’t have the freedom that I had when it was just me and my husband and my mountain buddies, I now enjoy looking at places to go from a different perspective. Thinking about the places I can enjoy because I have my child with me. I now visit lower elevation mountains, which I previously avoided because I thought it would not be challenging enough for me, or to a trail in the forest instead of the mountains. Even the mountains in Shonan, which I try to visit every weekend (more like backwoods that are close to the sea), are very enjoyable simply for the opportunity to be in touch with nature. My daughters are delighted just to take a simple rice ball and eat it in this beautiful place.

That was before my second daughter was born. I used to take my eldest daughter everywhere, to the mountains, the forests, the oceans, and the lakes, from when she was a little. Although there were times when she cried "I'm tired" or "I don't want to do this anymore," she seemed to enjoy walking on her own feet and outgrew the stroller much earlier than other children her age. When climbing a mountain, she would ride on my husband's back, but she would immediately say, "I want to get off the stroller," or "I want to walk! I smiled to myself as she climbed the mountain slowly but on her own.

Two years ago, when my eldest daughter was 1 year and 7 months old, we climbed Daisen in Tanzawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. The group on the day consisted of myself, my husband, our Shiba Inu, Tsubaki, a friend who is an expert outdoorsman, and our daughter. We walked from the trailhead near the riverside campsite, rather than along the main, busy trail, and my eldest daughter did a lot of walking! I may sound like an overproud parent, but as I think back to it now, I am very proud of what she achieved!

We often carried her on our backs, where she often fell asleep due to the rocking motion. But she was able to hold hands with our friend's daughter, a first grader, who walked with her, and despite the steep inclines and steps, and the fact that the trail was slippery in the light rain, she made it almost halfway on her own two feet!

My friend said that his daughter was also walking much more than usual. Maybe she was just trying to look as good as her "big sister". This made me think about whether it was not only the mountain we choose to climb, but who we climb that mountain with which influences a child's motivation. Thinking back, I realised that my daughter was always more enthusiastic when she was with friends or grandparents, or when she was out gathering wild vegetables in the mountains with a group, rather than just with us parents.

I realised once again that even with the same outdoor activities, the environment changes greatly depending on who you spend time with. And I think this is true not only for children, but also for us adults.

Where should I go with my children? And who should we go with? I have more and more things to think about, and I am sure I will have even more trouble thinking about them, but I still want to spend a lot of time in the mountains. As a parent, I want to provide my daughters with as many experiences as possible while they are still considered children. I don't care if they don't remember it or forget it after they grow up. I have memories of my parents taking me to various places and playing in the sea and mountains, and I believe that was important in making me the person I am today. Someone who is always attracted to nature.