Teaching them young

[vthompson]

It has snowed here the past three days, and our 8 year old grandson has been staying with us. He told me this morning that he was bored sitting around the house, so we got dressed and went outside.
After a few snowballs, he asked if we could make a fire and I told him yes. So we gathered some kindling and firewood and after I got some dryer lint we put it all together. When we finished he told me that he wanted to use my firesteel to start a fire with so I handed it to him. Needless to say, he couldnt get it started so I took over. Two scrapes with a scraper and we had a fire going. I told him not to get discouraged, and I told him that he would learn it soon enough.
After we had a fire going for a little bit, he asked me if it was O.K. to eat snow. After I explained it to him that he really shouldn't, he decided that he wanted to melt some snow and then boil it.
After a lot of snow and a cup of water we boiled it over our fire that we had made and then drank the water.
I figure that he learned 2 or 3 lessons today and I am glad that I was the one who showed him how to do it.

[Pal334]

THey are nice moments, memories for both of you. And he is learning without knowing he is being taught.

[nell67]

Thats awesome vthompson,keep encouraging him!

[Beans]

Great memories. My son who is now in his 30's and I still talk about the times we spent in the desert together when he was younger.

[Aurelius95]

Very cool. I have an 8 year old son, and last summer, my dad taught him how to catch frogs by the pond. He still talks about it. There are some things a kid and his grandpa should do together.

[Last Mohican]

My ex-wife's son, I still call him son and have always treated him as my own, who just turned 15 last month has almost 13 yrs of survival experience under his belt. It is never too early to teach a child. I am very confident if he were in the middle of anywhere w/ just the clothes on his back, he would do just fine.
954
Here is my next student. He/She will be here around 25 Sept 2009.

[Okwaho]

This is why I have joined these forums, I am very young myself and figured it would be great to start early.

[vthompson]

You are on the right path for learning because there are a lot of great people in these forum's to show you the way if you just pay attention and listen to them.

[laughingbeetle]

My ex-wife's son, I still call him son and have always treated him as my own, who just turned 15 last month has almost 13 yrs of survival experience under his belt. It is never too early to teach a child. I am very confident if he were in the middle of anywhere w/ just the clothes on his back, he would do just fine.
954
Here is my next student. He/She will be here around 25 Sept 2009.

Congratulations on the coming of your new student!! :D

[nell67]

congratulations to both you and Michelle!

[Last Mohican]

Thank you. This will be my first biological child ( I think ) and definitely my wife's first.
I remember being very young when my grandfather starting teaching me what was and was not edible in the woods, how to hunt, fish, trap and all of that good stuff. He had to do it to survive in the Phillipine Islands during WWII. I am glad that the tradition continues to live on.

[The Shadoran Nomad]

cool - you know the things you teach him now will shape who he becomes and the knowledge he gains from you will stay with him forever :)