You sigh and get out the moleskin. "Are you drinking enough water?" you ask as you tape up her blisters.

"I spilled it," she says.

Why did you ever think it was a good idea to take your kid hiking? you think as you refill her water bottle. Maybe she's too young.

While fraught with challenges, hiking with children can enrich their lives and yours. When you're tired and frustrated on the trail, remind yourself of the many benefits of hiking with your children:

• Hiking can be parent-child bonding. Hiking is a special activity to do with your children. Getting away from all the stress of everyday life gives you a chance to talk to your kids about their interests and dreams, not just what they want for dinner or this week's homework assignment.
• Hiking provides a hands-on learning experience. Bring a field guide or two and have fun identifying the birds and plants you see with your child. Some field guides will tell you about the traditional edible and medicinal uses of plants. If you're hiking in the American Southwest, you might pass archaeological sites. Hiking can be a great way to learn about nature and history as real things instead of just words in a book.
• Hiking is great exercise. Helping your child develop a lifelong habit of exercise is one of the best things you can do for his or her health. Hiking is a fun, exciting outdoor activity that doesn't require expensive classes.
• Hiking helps encourage appreciation of nature. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that nature encourages imaginative, creative play, and experiencing nature is an important part of childhood. Kids who see nature firsthand grow up to respect and love the world around us.
• Hiking challenges kids. Hiking can be a physical and mental challenge for kids, and completing a trail may give them a sense of
  Self Credit Repair - How You Can Do It On Your Own
  Self credit repair is basically the only way you can repair your bad credit. No one can do it for you, although they can give you advice. You have to really sit down and take a good look at your credit repair and then decide for yourself how you want to go about tackling the problem. Self credit repair is not that difficult to do, but yo
  hallenges, hiking with children can enrich their lives and yours. When you're tired and frustrated on the trail, remind yourself of the many benefits of hiking with your children:
  • Hiking can be parent-child bonding. Hiking is a special activity to do with your children. Getting away from all the stress of everyday life gives you a chance to talk to your kids about their interests and dreams, not just what they want for dinner or this week's homework assignment.
  • Hiking provides a hands-on learning experience. Bring a field guide or two and have fun identifying the birds and plants you see with your child. Some field guides will tell you about the traditional edible and medicinal uses of plants. If you're hiking in the American Southwest, you might pass archaeological sites. Hiking can be a great way to learn about nature and history as real things instead of just words in a book.
  • Hiking is great exercise. Helping your child develop a lifelong habit of exercise is one of the best things you can do for his or her health. Hiking is a fun, exciting outdoor activity that doesn't require expensive classes.
  • Hiking helps encourage appreciation of nature. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that nature encourages imaginative, creative play, and experiencing nature is an important part of childhood. Kids who see nature firsthand grow up to respect and love the world around us.
  • Hiking challenges kids. Hiking can be a physical and mental challenge for kids, and completing a trail may give them a sense of
    The Ultimate Investor
    What do we really mean when we say a person has become an ultimate investor? A mentor investor of mind explained to me the other day that to become an ultimate investor, a person must first learn how to invest in the stock market as it is the most easy and understand by most man in the street because it involve studying the fundamental
    just what they want for dinner or this week's homework assignment.
  • Hiking provides a hands-on learning experience. Bring a field guide or two and have fun identifying the birds and plants you see with your child. Some field guides will tell you about the traditional edible and medicinal uses of plants. If you're hiking in the American Southwest, you might pass archaeological sites. Hiking can be a great way to learn about nature and history as real things instead of just words in a book.
  • Hiking is great exercise. Helping your child develop a lifelong habit of exercise is one of the best things you can do for his or her health. Hiking is a fun, exciting outdoor activity that doesn't require expensive classes.
  • Hiking helps encourage appreciation of nature. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that nature encourages imaginative, creative play, and experiencing nature is an important part of childhood. Kids who see nature firsthand grow up to respect and love the world around us.
  • Hiking challenges kids. Hiking can be a physical and mental challenge for kids, and completing a trail may give them a sense of
    9 Fun Ways To Potty Train Your Child
    It is hard trying to figure out when is the right time to potty train your child. Most children are usually ready for potty training between the ages of 18 to 24 months. During the whole potty training process, parents should always try to keep their sense of humors about them and keep things upbeat, making potty training a fun time for
    eat way to learn about nature and history as real things instead of just words in a book.
  • Hiking is great exercise. Helping your child develop a lifelong habit of exercise is one of the best things you can do for his or her health. Hiking is a fun, exciting outdoor activity that doesn't require expensive classes.
  • Hiking helps encourage appreciation of nature. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that nature encourages imaginative, creative play, and experiencing nature is an important part of childhood. Kids who see nature firsthand grow up to respect and love the world around us.
  • Hiking challenges kids. Hiking can be a physical and mental challenge for kids, and completing a trail may give them a sense of
    Type 2 Diabetes - A Natural Cure through Simple Diet Changes
    Type 2 Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and is increasing and this is due to people becoming unhealthier than ever due to modern living - yet millions of people can cure themselves with simple diet changes. Let’s look at type 2 diabetes and in more detail the causes and natural ways to cure it.What is it?Type 2
    i>Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that nature encourages imaginative, creative play, and experiencing nature is an important part of childhood. Kids who see nature firsthand grow up to respect and love the world around us.
  • Hiking challenges kids. Hiking can be a physical and mental challenge for kids, and completing a trail may give them a sense of satisfaction and increase their self-confidence. Just be careful to choose trails that are an appropriate difficulty level for your child--not too hard or frustrating.

  Finally, you and your daughter reach the scene overlook at the end of the trail. She runs up to the railing. "Wow!" she says. "I can see all the way down into the valley! Look, there's a huge bird over there. What is it?"

  You squint at the bird. "That's a red-tailed hawk," you say.

  "Cool!"

  As you sit down to eat lunch with your daughter, you remember: this is why you took her hiking.