Must complain.....

[+Coyote's Girl]

I haven't found squat since that TB decal in the Six Flags parking lot. It's entirely my own fault, and I want to go find more. It's just a hassel with hauling my kiddo (not even two yet) And my second geoversary is today. I gave it to myself for a half-birtday present. I know, I know. Shut up and cache, right? There are quite a few new ones near here, so off I go.

[Andronicus]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

[+thecaswellfamily]

We almost ALWAYS have the little noonies along for the cache. It makes for slow going, that is for sure, but we discover so much... giant ant hills, bees nests, beautiful spiderwebs (complete with scarey spiders), birds, squirrels, etc. etc. Our count may be low by many standards, but we are all SO much richer for the journey. I recently had a chance to cache without the kids, and to my surprise, I didn't enjoy myself. I thought I would be "free" to cache like crazy, but I missed sharing it with them. I suggest picking up that little noonie and going out to find one, even if it is just one or two a week, and build from there. You'll be so glad you did!

[+Coyote's Girl]

The Bitty One came along with me today, we had a good time. We're pretty limited from his naptime and my bus routes though. I kinda hoped the older one would get into it with me but no such luck. Oh well. I'm kind of resigned to caching by myself since no one I know is into it.

[+ras_oscar]

When I cache alone i get higher numbers but I enjoy the process more when I share. Mine are self propelled, but it doesn't keep them from whining. It does get them away from ps3 for an afternoon. The trick is to schedule an enjoyable destination, and cache out and back.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

We almost ALWAYS have the little noonies along for the cache.

"Little noonies". Ha! What a great term, it inspires wonder if that's how they came to be...

[+nimrodblack]

The Bitty One came along with me today, we had a good time. We're pretty limited from his naptime and my bus routes though. I kinda hoped the older one would get into it with me but no such luck. Oh well. I'm kind of resigned to caching by myself since no one I know is into it.

 

A few helpful hints from a dad that caches with his 2 year old a lot.

 

1. She is in a kelty backpack

2. I bring snacks for her and juice and she drops crumbs on me. (she loves snack in the pack)

3. I call caches...treasure

4. Always have swag on you so she/he can have anything in the cache they like.

5. Let the kid "find" the treasure (see #3) no matter what you need to do to make that happen.

6. When you plan to go get "treasure" make a big deal about them helping you find it.

 

The mere mention of a search for treasure has my 2 year old running to get her coat and asking me where the backpack is. You gotta sell it. And if the kid likes it....the spouse will follow.

[+sbell111]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

[+jeffbouldin]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

 

I have three kids. They get hurt, thats life. I don't let them do stupid things. But I don't shelter them. If you don't get them off the couch and out into the woods early in their life you won't get them off the computer, game console, TV when they are older.

[Dukeyduke]

I cache with our kids all the time. Our 4 year old has bee caching since she was born. I concur with the advice above:

 

-Bring a snack

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...19-7e4a3f8fd6f3

-be prepared to help them when they get tired of walking

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...c2-448994f288a6

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...76-46d86189887f

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...04-b4c2811be229

-kids love treasure hunting

-Kids love swag so bring along some extra just in case you find broken junk

-Avoid micros (see swag comment above)

-Don't rush them. Our kids love to catch frogs and bugs while walking through the woods or throw stones into water

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...a6-d7a2b6791d11

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...93-cd397598d15e

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...dd-a49ec537e2eb

- Set your GPS on the arrow and let them find the GZ

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...2f-8cf883fc4b19

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...b9-88cee3bd49f0

- find caches near cool places and then visit the place

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...bc-1ba9c2ce6b43

- when they are done...stop caching

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...f6-05acba501e98

 

Thanks to caching our kids are fully comfortable in the woods and appreciate spending time in nature. When I ask them what they want to do for "Daddy adventures" they almost always ask to go treasure hunting.

[+BlueDeuce]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

 

Kids are the best tool for urban caching.

 

"I'm just going to sit here on the bench. Go look behind that sign for me. Okay, now go look along that wall. No? Trying looking under the bench."

 

Nobody is surprised seeing a curious kid.

[+jeffbouldin]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

 

Kids are the best tool for urban caching.

 

"I'm just going to sit here on the bench. Go look behind that sign for me. Okay, now go look along that wall. No? Trying looking under the bench."

 

Nobody is surprised seeing a curious kid.

 

I tried that on an evil micro stuck in the dirt in the middle of the field. "Dad, when are we going to leave?" "When we find this one, so I suggest you find it." Didn't work.

[+BlueDeuce]

Didn't work.

 

[+isjustus4]

I get some arguments from my daughters about caching once and a while. They are now 4 and 5. More into playing with the neighbors for every free moment. But, when I can get them to go, snacks, drinks and preferably non micro caches. Also have to limit the amount of caches. My oldest will ask how many, and I'll answer. She'll try to "bargain" down, but seeing as we have to drive to the area I have mapped out, I'll respond with a bigger number. She'll then settle on the original amount!

 

They like it, and they like spending time with daddy. However, at their current age, playing with friends seems like it is VERY important to them. So, I have to compromise, and sometimes I just go without them. I enjoy caching either way, but prefer to share it(and cool places) with them.

[+Coyote's Girl]

I tried to post this earlier today: If I spent the money on a Kelty pack, I'd kinda loose the high ground on my hobby being cheaper than my husband's (He does tabletop gameing and spends quite alot on plastic army guys). I've got a moby wrap I can break out if I think of it, and I can work that on my own. DBug didn't buy the "Treasure Hunting" angle very long, although I do have a picture of him in a pirate hat when we went caching one Christmas before we went to the familys' places. The Bitty One, not being two yet, has cached with me a few times since he was born and I've made several treacherous descents with him in the sling. However he's a little too young to cob onto the whole Treasure idea yet. I'm just happy to have gotten the two finds I did today and maybe I'll go for another tomorrow before his nap.

[+thecaswellfamily]

We almost ALWAYS have the little noonies along for the cache.

"Little noonies". Ha! What a great term, it inspires wonder if that's how they came to be...

 

This response puzzled me, so I looked it up on Urban Dictionary... oh heavens! We've been calling the children WHAT?!?! My husband started it, so I blame it all on him. Actually, there were a lot of baby references too, but SHEESH, I had no idea.

[+MaxiP]

We try and cache as a family at the weekends with the 'bin lids' being 10, 8 & 2.5

 

I agree with many of the comments here about treasure hunting as opposed to looking for a cache. We're starting to get to the point where the 10 year old wants to go on exciting walks (to find caches) but unfortunately, this normally means just the 2 of us as it's impractical & sometimes dangerous to take a 2 year old on some walks.

 

When we're caching as a family, we try and do a out / back route so if the 2 year old flags (he doesn't like being carried in a backpack), someone can walk on ahead with the other kids to the cache(s) and then collect the others on the way back. Not ideal but at least everyone gets out and enjoys the fresh air.

[+Buntings24]

I have 2 monsters who come caching one is 13 he loves to come along to see what he can swap as he collects erasers from all over (403erasers) so far and hes found a lot in caches so its fun for him ,my other lad moans and moans about it and would rather be on the xbox ! but soon as he finds one its woohoo all a big story lol

I always ask if they fancy going caching and take snacks and drinks and more times than not they have a good day

[Skippermark]

I love caching with my son. We've always been outdoorsy, so he's grown up hiking, boating, camping and things like that. We went tent camping when he was only 9 weeks old. Some family members got mad and said that a baby should stay in the house until they're at least 3 months old.

 

We've done some high terrain caches that some adults won't even do, kayaked over 8 miles to hide 4 caches, ridden our bikes 25 miles along a Rhode Island bike trail and then through several towns while working on a bunch of caches. There's nothing better than hiking a couple miles to a gorgeous mountain view and sitting down and enjoying a relaxing lunch together.

 

We have the opposite problem of a lot of parents who can't get their kids to want to go outside. We struggle to get him to come inside.

 

An early season hike with mom and friends after a surprise snowfall

 

The view part way up

 

Plymouth, MA and the Mayflower

 

Even still, he can get pooped out and needs to sleep

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

When I cache alone i get higher numbers but I enjoy the process more when I share. Mine are self propelled, but it doesn't keep them from whining. It does get them away from ps3 for an afternoon. The trick is to schedule an enjoyable destination, and cache out and back.

 

Promise of ice cream works for the piggies.

[knowschad]

We almost ALWAYS have the little noonies along for the cache.

"Little noonies". Ha! What a great term, it inspires wonder if that's how they came to be...

Haha! Good point... "Noonie" was one of my very early nicknames! Wish Dad was still around, so I could ask him that.

[+T_M_H]

My 11 year old is as addicted to caching as I am. He wore his new cacher tshirt that he got for his birthday to school today. The coolest thing about this whole thing is that he is doing things he would never have done in the past all to find a cache. Yesterday we were in a drainage tunnel looking for a cache and he did not bat an eye about it being dark or the bugs or bats. Amazing...

[+Kelleys1121]

I have just recently started after knowing about Caching for years. It can be really difficult to find anything that you can do with a 9, 6, and 3 yr olds all at once. I and the kids always ended up playing Wii since that was the easiest to manage with someone always complaining that they wanted a turn.

Now that we are caching we get all our stuff together(everyone has a steel water bottle) everyone picks out their own snacks (multiples for long caches). We have even started working on "diversions" that the kids can do while Daddy is looking with muggles around. The staged fights aren't quite there yet. And the littlest still likes to yell "when are we gonna find the Geocache!" when she gets upset.

But overall we have fun and we make it a team activity. I have even printed out the "cache info page" and placed it in an envelope for the 3 yr. old to open when we get to the parking location. I tell her it is the "mission brief" and she is in charge of opening it and holding it for Daddy.

I really have to thank in general Geocaching for giving me something to bond with my kids over.

 

I am a firm believer that if you give the kids a special task then they will love spending time outdoors caching.

[+sbell111]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

 

I have three kids. They get hurt, thats life. I don't let them do stupid things. But I don't shelter them. If you don't get them off the couch and out into the woods early in their life you won't get them off the computer, game console, TV when they are older.

While it is true that I took Princess Wigglypants caching with me when she was just seven months old, I took appropriate precautions to ensure that she couldn't get harmed in any way (because that's my job, after all).

 

If you'll reread the post that I was responding to, you'll find that everyone ended up injured and the two year old's injury resulted in his/her not being able to eat solid foods.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

We almost ALWAYS have the little noonies along for the cache.

"Little noonies". Ha! What a great term, it inspires wonder if that's how they came to be...

 

This response puzzled me, so I looked it up on Urban Dictionary... oh heavens! We've been calling the children WHAT?!?! My husband started it, so I blame it all on him. Actually, there were a lot of baby references too, but SHEESH, I had no idea.

 

Are "noonies" what you get after having a "nooner" (also in the urban dictionary)?

[+power69]

Man, I take the 3 geokids with me (9,4,and 2). The other day I was trying to climb a steep muddy will with the 2 year old on my back, and the 4 year old held in front. Unfortunatly that ended with everyone getting hert, and the 2 year old not being able to eat solid foods for 2 days.

 

Anyway.....The point is, don't let the kids stop you from caching. Yea, I would cach alot more if I didn't have the kids to haul around, but I still get out with them.

Assuming that hert=hurt, your story is a good argument for NOT caching with the little ones.

 

Kids are the best tool for urban caching.

 

"I'm just going to sit here on the bench. Go look behind that sign for me. Okay, now go look along that wall. No? Trying looking under the bench."

 

Nobody is surprised seeing a curious kid.

 

I tried that on an evil micro stuck in the dirt in the middle of the field. "Dad, when are we going to leave?" "When we find this one, so I suggest you find it." Didn't work.

next time give them a airport style security wand to wave around and tell them the wand will talk to the cache when they meet.