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Sharing Love

Loved this Ikea campaign which brought to mind some of the advanced gear hikers carry their babies in these days. The units that strap on the back of the parent are meant to make baby comfortable and snug while also protecting them from the elements. I recently saw a dad of two kids on a moderately hard trail chasing after one full-speed while carrying the second in the harness. This was such a far cry from anything I would have been able to do when J was the age of these kids. 

These parents want to get their kids to love being active and outdoors, enjoy it as much as they do. That goal cannot be achieved without putting forth some serious effort - and so they do. The hiking gear needed to bring baby along for the ride is needed for good intention to become reality. I wish such things were more accessible when J was that age. Children are shaped by experiences of such formative years even when they don't properly remember them or meet them with resistance. 

I'd like to be believe that parents who put so much effort into sharing what they love with their kids will see some benefit come out of it. Even if the baby does not grow up to become an avid hiker like the parent, chances are they will channel some of that love of nature and spirit of adventure into their own lives, in ways that the parent might find gratifying to observe. 

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