Have outdoor skills gone the way of the dodo?
We'll wait for you to google that, just like you did when you needed to pitch a tent, build a fire, and go fishing.
And that brings us to today's point: parents no longer know how to teach their children traditional life skills.
All of those things that your grandfather taught your father? Well, it looks like his generation may be the last one to really learn those things from their parents.
Justin Worsham of The Dad Podcast thinks he knows why this has happened.
"At first glance, it is laughable that parents are having to google this stuff. It means that parents are losing some of those fundamental skills of growing up. But, when you think about it how important in today’s world is it to be able to build a fire...not at all…until you need to. But, how often will our kids find themselves in a survival situation or renting a cabin, needing to impress the one they are with? I think the reality is that these skills are becoming less and less important.
One could argue that it is more efficient to google the information when needed than it would be to spend time honing these skills to, maybe, use them occasionally.
It's also possible that we are losing this interest because we are losing our connection to nature and the world around us. That actually could be a problem. There have been multiple studies showing that connecting with nature and getting outside decreases stress and anxiety, and can improve health.
So, let’s hope that it has more to do with efficiency or a cultural shift than an indifference to the outdoors."
To hear more of Justin's take on learning traditional life skills, and other parenting topics, you can check out all of his stuff at The Dad Podcast
Check out his latest episode with Jessica Winther about giving yourself some slack when parenting, and how your relationship changes when you kids get older.