Lifelong rancher and Founder of Top50ranches.com, Jody Dahl gives us an insight as to why living on her family ranch, and getting involved with the activities and running of the property is teaching her nine-year-old son, Colt some truly fundamental life skills…
“It’s a catch 22 situation: today society is throwing up its hands in despair with so many kids becoming totally glued to their screens. But as parents, we’re all so busy and every hour is precious, so it’s great that these devices are available to entertain kids, when you just need a bit of time and space to get things done.
But remember when we didn’t have these screens keeping us kids inactive and staring? We went outdoors, ran around, got mucky and were exhausted at the end of the day. Many of today’s kids aren’t getting experiences like these, preferring their screen time to making camps, creating new worlds, and learning new skills.
I believe that these early-learnt skills are absolutely vital to start shaping kids and helping them find their path in life; during these formative years they discover the things that become lifelong passions, talents and often career paths. And of course they discover what they don’t like, too!
My son Colt absolutely thrives in our ranch environment. He is an extremely enthusiastic adventurer, loving nothing more than to head out with his father and cousin on camping and hunting trips, driving the ATV and herding cattle. He is an accomplished horseman! His maturity means he is a willing teacher, too, helping guests learn to shoot targets and assisting his little sister with the things she can’t quite manage yet. I truly believe that it’s the outdoors, the fresh air, the nature and the energy he expends every day that are helping him to grow into a well-rounded young man. He’s excited for each day, even the school days!
When I was running the guest ranch, my visitors would often say that seeing my kids living life to the fullest, outdoors, was one of the things that charmed them the most, as it reminded them of being a kid and playing in nature from dawn til dusk.
On ranch vacations, kids get to have adventures, they get dirty, they experience true freedom. They sleep better at night, have healthy appetites and gain a real sense of freedom, responsibility and an understanding of the natural world. The wholesome environment of ranch life allows them to just be children, to grow, learn and change in a safe and fun way. See for yourself! They’ll love you for it!”
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