Basic Outdoor Rules for Kids By Pat Gibson (1986)

Over the last 18 years since I've been a mom, I've worked with kids outdoor a lot. From the first camping trip we took with crew number one when he was about ten months old to dealing with a large snake in front of the house last week, I've learned a lot.

There are a few basic things you need to teach kids when they move to the country. One of the first is, if you can't see where you are sticking your hand or foot, don't stick it there. Grabbing after an armadillo as it disappears down a hole under a rock can get you very well acquainted with both a rattlesnake and the emergency room of a hospital.

Kids need to have caution but also curiosity and wonder, so we've always said, if it isn't bothering you, leave it alone. A wasp nest out behind the shed is fascinating to watch. Wasps are good predators so leave it alone. Now a wasp nest over the picnic table or the porch swing is another matter, but not for kids to mess with.

Now leaving things alone goes for snakes too. If it isn't poisonous you leave it alone completely even if it is right up close to the house. Last week a caliche-colored snake almost came in the front door. It was a good three-foot long and well fed, but we just ran it off with the broom. It eats rats and rabbits and should be encouraged. Poisonous snakes are another thing entirely. Kids need to learn to recognize the difference between a poisonous snake and a non-poisonous. It is a matter of survival if you want to live in the country.

Another rule we've taught the kids comes from Scouts. You always leave a place better than you found it. Never leave your trash, even if it is your own land. Pick up after others if you have too, but always leave it clean. Always get permission before you cross the fences on to the neighbor's land. One of our crew and his friends learned the hard way about taking short cuts. Some other kids had busted up a deer blind and a feeder and our boys were blamed because they were caught taking a short cut across the neighbor's place. It took a while to straighten out, but the boys learned a lesson about property rights. We also have taught the kids that if you find a gate closed, you close it when you go through. If you find it open, leave it open. The same goes for a pretty rock or an interesting plant. Leave it there so someone else can enjoy it too.

Throwing things in the creek can get you in big trouble with Mom as can wading when it has been raining hard, but that's another story.