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Getting Kids to like Micros


Har_D

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I have 2 small kids. My son is 6 1/2 & my daughter will be 4 next month. Since my non-geocaching wife & I have different days off if I want to go caching I have to take them along. They love geocaching & jump at the chance to go. My son has an amazing geosense. He often sees & calls out the hiding place before I even get my bearings. He is very useful on the hunt. The only problem is that my kids hate micros. They are all about the swag. They simply have to trade something when we find a cache & I never hear the end of it when we find an empty cache or a micro. It is getting harder to find decent regular size caches & we have had to leave a lot of micros in our area unfound. However, as I have mentioned earlier, my son has a nose for sniffing out the better hidden caches. He has a brief thrill in finding the cache but quickly whines when it is a micro.

 

I have found a way to entice my kids into wanting to find the micros. I have agreed to pay them a quarter for every multi they help me find. Now they go nuts trying to find itwhile on the hunt. & then stand there holding their hands out while I finish signing the log.

 

Have you going any creative ways to get your kids to enjoy finding micros?

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It sounds like your son would be great at hiding a micro, if you could find somewhere near your home that would be a good place for one. Then he could watch how his micro gets discovered and what people write about it, and maybe over time he will get from that the various reasons people look for them. As your children are still young, so one option is to leave the micros until they're older and feel they are 'too old' for the swag and just get out walking and enjoying the countryside with them, so they get enjoyment simply from the exercise and becoming stronger, fitter, and more knowledgeable about their surroundings.

 

As for my kids, the older one is pretty lazy when it comes to walking, and a micro usually means a quick cache and dash, so she loves them - especially if she can spot it going past, while still in the car!

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...My son has an amazing geosense. He often sees & calls out the hiding place before I even get my bearings....

 

I have found a way to entice my kids into wanting to find the micros. I have agreed to pay them a quarter for every multi they help me find.

(assuming you mean micro not multi)

 

Can I hire them? I'll pay 50 cents per cache. It's cheaper than driving back to re-hunt a DNF with gas prices these days :)

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I think that, at that age, they are going to take their cues from you. If you get all excited for them about the swag, they are going to get all excited about swag. If you get all excited about finding the tough ones (especially when they find it) and you praise them for their cleverness and sharp eyes, that they will get excited about that. But... as you well know, the attention span is very, very short at that age, so difficult caches of any size are probably not going to be fun for them.

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Our daughter is 7 and she will ask before getting out of the JEEP what size the cache is. She usually won't even get out unless she needs to walk around a little. She likes the SWAG part of the game. She likes the trading and putting SWAG in the caches that we hide. She will boulder hop, hike and bushwack to find a cache she can trade at but wont budge too much for a micro. Maybe I'll try the quarter thing but I just won't offer this on a power-trail run. :laughing:

 

EDIT: Our 15yr old thinks we are a bunch of fanny pack wearing geeks. We don't even wear fanny packs :blink:. That's what we get for taking him to last years Geowoodstock :laughing:

Edited by the4dirtydogs
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I hear you Har_D and DirtyDogs! I have 3 little kids (7,5,&3) and take them caching all the time. As soon as the gps makes the 50m "bong" noise the kids ask "Daddy, what size is this one?" If I say anything other than micro they start planning which items they are going to trade and what they hope to find in the cache. If I say micro then there a bunch of "ahh, why are there so many micros?" but they still like to get out and look. They really enjoy finding unique micros. But even they are bored of bison tubes in pine trees! :unsure::anibad: My 5 year old is a very dedicated cacher. The other two usually play with their swag for a while then it just either ends up under their beds or just disappearing. My 5 year old though keeps all his swag in a tool box he got for Christmas. And he remembers where most of them came from.

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I don't even bother with Micros and Nanos. My kids (5 and 3) are also all about finding interesting swag inside and trading (first to find it gets first choice on the swag!) so micros and empty 'small' caches are considered a waste of time by them.

 

Personally, I also usually find micros a bit tedious -- after all, its easy to hide something that size. Take on the challenge and try hiding something a bit larger, eh? I know urban caches have to be smaller but some people hide something tiny where they could easily have gone up to 'small' or even 'regular'.

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I'm not the parent of a young child, but I have some ideas.

I have heard other parenting concepts where the child has certain duties that are theirs as a part of the household, and do not need to be rewarded/paid for. Other duties/chores are optional, and the child can earn money (kind of eases them into the idea of work/job, and paycheck) for doing those tasks.

 

Finding micro caches so Dad can log them (obviously) falls into the optional category, and I think you eventually will need a second mortgage if you want to reward them properly.

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Am I the only one that is bothered by the concept of PAYING the kids to help look for a micro? What is the long-term message that they are going to take from that? I still say that the child's reaction to any particular cache type (at the ages we are discussing) depends very much on the sort of feedback that the parents are giving. If you find an ammo box with toys, and go "Oh, look, Little Johnny... Look at all the toys!!" and then go to a micro and, um.... sign the log (yawn!), what lesson is Little Johnny taking away from this?

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Am I the only one that is bothered by the concept of PAYING the kids to help look for a micro?

It's not my kids, and it's not the way I do it. But I decided, especially after having my own kids, that I don't tell others how to raise theirs :)

 

Is it any better or worse than saying "Let's go find a bunch of caches, and we can hit the fast food joint afterwards"? Or sneaking in toys so that the kids always have something fun to find in the cache? Or any of a number of other ways to entice kids to cache with you?

 

The OP is trying to cache, and spend time with his kids. I think that counts for a lot.

 

I think kids are a lot more resilient than most behavioral psychologists give them credit for. Or maybe it is just a way by these psychologists to ensure they have a steady stream of income. Jaguars and Mercedes don't grow on trees, after all.

 

The way I do it, I give up the search a lot quicker when I'm with my kids. They don't mind going geocaching with me occasionally (meaning : once every two months or so). They don't mind doing it if we're hiking anyway - I go ahead when I'm near a cache, and catch up with them if necessary after the find. It's nowhere near as often as I would like to cache, so the rest of the time, I do it alone.

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Am I the only one that is bothered by the concept of PAYING the kids to help look for a micro?

It's not my kids, and it's not the way I do it. But I decided, especially after having my own kids, that I don't tell others how to raise theirs :)

While I generally agree with this, I also believe that when someone explains how they deal with their children and goes on to ask for advice, it's OK to share your feelings on the subject. Edited by sbell111
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I *wish* my kids were that easy to convince--I'd gladly pay them a quarter per cache if that meant that they would have fun geocaching. They'll do one or two, but then start complaining "do we have to find another one?!?!" They like trading the swag, but they would gladly give that up if it meant that they didn't have to go caching. Part of their dislike is probably because we really only do hiking caches, and their interest in hiking is pretty limited. I really don't see a problem paying them a quarter for finding each cache. A quarter just isn't that much money, and it sounds like they are actually having fun searching for the cache. Sometimes kids just get attitudes, and decide that they aren't going to like something, without really giving it a fair shot. Any minor bribery that gets them to drop the attitude and have fun is worth a shot. At some point they'll probably figure out that they actually enjoy searching, and the quarter/swag/trip for ice cream is just secondary.

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Am I the only one that is bothered by the concept of PAYING the kids to help look for a micro? What is the long-term message that they are going to take from that? I still say that the child's reaction to any particular cache type (at the ages we are discussing) depends very much on the sort of feedback that the parents are giving. If you find an ammo box with toys, and go "Oh, look, Little Johnny... Look at all the toys!!" and then go to a micro and, um.... sign the log (yawn!), what lesson is Little Johnny taking away from this?

 

That, that is how life is. More = better.

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Yes, he is paying his kids a quarter a micro. (Or was it multi? ..no..wait..micro. ;) ) He stated that as a fact. Just because he stated this does not mean someone has the right to judge the action.

Back on topic: Other things you can do to get your kids excited about micros that you can try as well... Anytime I tell my teenage stepson that I had trouble finding one, he's all over it trying to find it before I do. He likes that "Ha ha!" moment.

He likes the Ozzguff ones, because they ARE challenging, & he wants to see if he can find it before we do.

We also do a spin-off & take turns with who gets to look for one, & the person with the least DNF's wins. (Although I do "cheat" for him & help him out a lot- so his dad usually ends up losing haha)

But, then again, he's more of a "victory dance winner & good sport loser" than a " scream 'IN YO' FACE!' winner & kick-you-in-the-leg loser"...

 

But only you know how competitive your kids are or can be, & whether this idea will work or not.

 

And before anybody jumps on me about what it teaches your kid: sportsmanship. Sorry to those who like the fact that every kid on the team at school gets a trophy now.

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Yes, he is paying his kids a quarter a micro. (Or was it multi? ..no..wait..micro. ;) ) He stated that as a fact. Just because he stated this does not mean someone has the right to judge the action.

If you are referring to my post, I didn't judge anybody. I said that I was bothered by the concept.
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Yes, he is paying his kids a quarter a micro. (Or was it multi? ..no..wait..micro. ;) ) He stated that as a fact. Just because he stated this does not mean someone has the right to judge the action.

If you are referring to my post, I didn't judge anybody. I said that I was bothered by the concept.

I may have been getting too defensive on the poster's behalf. Unfortunately, parents are all too often judged for things that are extremely minor.. Maybe it rubs me the wrong way & I get all irritable over it. *le sigh* angst.. ;)

I could have read too much into your comment, & for that I apologize.

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Yes, he is paying his kids a quarter a micro. (Or was it multi? ..no..wait..micro. ;) ) He stated that as a fact. Just because he stated this does not mean someone has the right to judge the action.

If you are referring to my post, I didn't judge anybody. I said that I was bothered by the concept.

I may have been getting too defensive on the poster's behalf. Unfortunately, parents are all too often judged for things that are extremely minor.. Maybe it rubs me the wrong way & I get all irritable over it. *le sigh* angst.. ;)

I could have read too much into your comment, & for that I apologize.

No sweat. Happens to us all once in a while. :)

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Maybe you could get a coin or gem to dip and track your miles. I agree with the poster who said whoever finds the most gets to pick lunch.

I try to get my daughter excited ahead of time. We are only 25 in, but I also try to split between micros and bigger ones each day. She isn't big into swag though, mainly because in Michigan we have been finding some seriously water logged caches lately.

 

I am hoping that taking her to an event later this month will get her more excited, not that she isn't now, I have heard this complaint before though.

 

I also make sure to tell people often that she found our hardest one to date.

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You can have a chart on the fridge with each kid getting a sticker for each micro found. At 10 stickers, you go for a treat on your caching adventure. It could be ice cream, or whatever turns them on. Be sure to tell them how proud you are that they found such a tiny thing - some grown ups can't find them!

Definitely mix up the caches....one micro maximum per trip for now. BTW, aren't dimes lighter to carry? ;)

I love the idea of having your son hide a micro (with help from you) and seeing the logs that come in. Show them the pictures in the thread "Cool Cache Containers" in Geocaching Topics.

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Honestly, I don't have kids, but I remember being one...

I think an easy trick worth trying for parents is siimply making finding a micro a bg deal.

As you get close just be like, "Okay guys this one is a micro, and you know what that means. Its going to take a really good cacher to find it!"

And then be crazy impressed when the little one finds it, "Woah! How did you find that little thing!?"

 

Probably something everyone is already doing, but I imagine handling it like that...

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Of COURSE they like the swag! They're kids!!! Using your adult brain, think about working at your job for a day. Would you rather, at the end of the day, receive a pay check or just a verbal thank you from the boss? It takes maturity and perspective to work when you are not receiving a tangible reward. That's why there isn't an over supply of volunteers for non-profits, coaching kids teams, animal rescues etc.

 

That having been said, I raised two sons to adulthood. Neither of them were much on family time and joining in, unless it was their idea. I would suggest looking for very few micros, and taking the long hikes out of the equation. Look for local caches. Pretend you guys are 007 or something. Play spy vs. spy with them. Maybe look for one or two caches total in a day, but that's it. Kids have short attention spans. Look for and find a nice cache with swag for them to trade. Then look for a micro- but plan some sort of celebration when it is found. Ice cream or other treat, the celebratory micro cache dance (whatever spontaneous silly dance you can make up), a specific family microcache cheer (made up and practiced beforehand)- anything to up the reward and fun factor. With my kids we hunted beach glass and if they found a piece of blue glass, I did the dance. They would do anything to see me make a fool of myself on the beach! Face it, we do this for fun. If it becomes a chore, we stop. Kids are the same way. Do whatever it takes to be sure they are having fun and when they are no longer having fun, stop. This isn't the place to teach about perseverence, unless they are into it. Schoolwork, chores, and other 'have-to's' in life will take care of that. Hobbies are supposed to be fun.

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How about if you get them each a geocoin, that they use to "visit" each cache, no matter the size? That way, they could look up their travels on the coins' maps.

 

Does each kidlet have their own geocaching account? Maybe personalizing the whole experience might provide some incentive to like all caching experiences. Writing up their own "found it" of "DNF" logs might be fun. (or maybe not. LOL)

 

Placing caches with their input might be an option, too. That way, other cachers in your area will get to enjoy larger size caches, too. And the kids might find reading the logs of "their" caches to be fun.

 

From what we've seen in caches, it's hard to imagine kids staying excited about swag. Maybe you've got better swag in your area.

 

If they stick with it, then maybe the challenge of the hunt will become more important to them than the "reward" of swag.

 

Well, whatever it takes, you're lucky to have the kids willing to spend time with you. So maybe for the times you are caching with them, it's best to tailor your searches to what appeals to them and gives them the biggest joy.

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Mine loved geocaching until I kinda went crazy with it, and now they do prefer the ammo cans, and only if it's got decent swag in it. I won't let them trade their new race car for a ketchup pack. :unsure:

 

Anyway, they enjoy the cuter micros, like ones that are plastic insects, lizards or pinecones, etc. We have one out there that I made that is a 6 inch plastic beetle.

 

We kind of have a little sibling rivalry going. My 6 year old is the "micro expert". She seems to find all the micros. I made a big deal of her finding one once and it's just stuck with her. So she gets all official and serious when we look for one now.

 

I put out 3 caches recently and my 8 year old posted a challenge for other kids to come find them. (smalls and a regular)

 

P.S. the most caches I have ever hunted with my kids in one day was 10 and that about did them in. They are usually good for 3 or 4 and that's about it.

Edited by FloridaFour
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Threaten to take away all their privileges if they don't start liking micros.*

 

 

*That's a joke, btw.

 

When I was a kid, I would have been threatened with Dad's belt if I didn't like micros. None of this mamby-pamby "time-out" stuff. :P

I bet you you'd eventually like micro's. I've heard stories of people that were beaten into eating vegetables they don't like... When they became adults they liked them.

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Have you going any creative ways to get your kids to enjoy finding micros?

I tend to reward the kids the same way I reward myself – with a trip to the pub. That was sufficient to dispel half an hour of "I want to go home" recently, with the 5yo revising his assessment of our outing to "the best ever".

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i have kids aged 6 and 7

so far we have not taken anything from a cache, nor left anything. this is because when we started a week ago, we didnt have any supplies, and i told them we are just looking not taking.

 

since then i've found a couple of nano's which i will take them back to see, so they can know what to look for.

 

and now you've confirmed my decision to keep it more about the hunt, leaving something for the next person and less about 'what we get out of it'

let's see how long i can continue that :)

 

btw "if you dont behave i'm not taking you caching after school" is a GREAT bribe in our house!

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My daughter is 4 and particularly loves swapping things (choosing what to put in as well as what to take out), but also loves nanos - the smaller the better! I'm not quite sure why, but I think she likes laughing at me when I struggle signing the tiny bit of paper and rolling it back up again to put it in :laughing: I wonder if half the fun could be not telling them the size of the container, and then guessing what they're looking for could be more of the game?

 

I suppose if they really don't like micros, either don't do them for now, or make sure there are plenty of larger caches in between "If you help Daddy find this little one, we'll look for a bigger one for you next" kind of thing, a sort of lesson in taking turns.

Edited by buffhusky
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