Walking with kids vs. driving

Text and drawing by Frits Ahlefeldt

Kids spend less and less time outside and more and more time in front of screens and in cars. But it is better for them to walk and better for their parents to join them

Psychological benefits of walking for families

Walking is the timeless way families has been together since we crawled down from the trees and started exactly that – walking together. But lately cars, hurried schedules, lack of time and fear of letting the kids outdoors has changed this.

In many places most parents bring their kids to school in cars now, keeping their attention on the road along the way, instead of walking together. But there are a number of benefits of walking together as a family:

• Everybody will get fresh air and exercise
• You can actually get your kid’s attention. ( can be hard at home where screens are always on)
• Talking and walking is one of the best ways to help kids open up and talk about what is on their mind and also reflect on things they learned or wonder about
• It even help us use less resources ( gasoline ) and also it will help both children and parents relate better to the place they live
• It is good to reduce stress, often when you know you have to walk, you actually end up being in better time, than when rushing in a car

Try it out, walking together is a bit of a magical thing, it works in so many beneficial psychological ways, science is just starting to figure them out… at the exact same time as most of us stop walking…

Illustration Keywords: Family, cars, walking, outdoors, nature, kids, children, upbringing, family relations, fatherhood, parenting, school. Worry, fear, angst,
museum of psychology