Allwildlike.com is a passion project years in the making. We’re not talking a couple of years here, or even 10 years…we’re talking 2 decades. If you want to know more about all that, check out my story. It’s a bit of a rambling read (they tell me I ramble…I don’t see it), but it gives you a lot of insight into the background that makes this site tick.

Onto what you’re really after…

The focus of this blog is threefold: outdoors stuff, raising children, and education. Blend those three together to create the goal of passing on bits of information and wisdom about doing things in the outdoors in a smart way, especially with young ones in tow. We want our kids to be all wild-like, not just wild.

The distinction, as I see it, is this:

Wild-Like Kids:

They embrace their wild side while thinking about what they are doing. They have curiosity, a sense of exploration, and critical thinking. Therefore they use smart survival rather than sheer numbers, brute force, dumb luck…or all three.

Our ancestors found that our slower-maturing species was a thinking species that relied on brains to make its way in the world. They found that the best way we can pass on knowledge and skills is through guided support and education. This isn’t memorization or standardized testing nonsense. Unlike long lists of facts, these are skills that can be applied in any number of ways in our lives, even if some of them are considered “dying.”

Wild Kids

They live a life with little to no structure, guidance, or support. They’re pushed out of the nest when they’re able to feed themselves. Hopefully at least one or two of them will survive to carry on the species. They’re let loose into the world to figure things out for themselves.

I’m not going to hit you with “you’re a bad parent if you do this“ bullshit- there is a lot of that needless shaming and finger-wagging on social media already from the child “experts.” Most of them don’t help anyway because what works for one parent doesn’t work for another. Most of the advice just makes other people feel bad while the advisor gets to feel superior. What kind of help is that?

The reality is is that some kids are more hands-on, others are more hands-off.

What we offer:

Support and ideas backed with a little know-how and training in psychology, education, and outdoor skills. We distill information from actual child experts, educators, and outdoors people and toss in some of the things that helped us to lend you a hand. How you raise your child is your concern.

Allwildlike.com focuses on what children know and practice. They then discover that they know quite a bit about something they though they didn’t know. We continue to build on those discoveries by making even more connections. We’re all about the “wax-on, wax-off” way of doing things.

My guess is that if you’re here to begin with, you don’t need the bad parent lecture anyway.

So where to go from here?

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the core of allwildlike.com is hiking. It’s highly unlikely that nature is going to come to you, so you need to go out and experience it. Get the kids and yourself off the couch and get moving. Start by planning a hike!

Maybe you’ve done some hikes, but are looking to add a little “more” to future hikes. Check out my list of Essential Extras for hikes.

Wherever you end up going- on this site or in the great wilds- allwildlike.com is here to support and guide you.

If you have any questions or concerns…or a great idea for an article (we’re open to guest posts), feel free to contact me. Provided I’m not off on my own adventure at the time, I’ll do my best to get back to you.