Moms! Yes, Angling Is A Great Way To Bond With The Kids

It’s a fact that all working moms are busy people – fact. They still generally take great control of and responsibility for indoor household chores, whereas recent Gallup polls show that in most households the man of the house takes care of outdoor tasks like tending the yard and maintaining the car.

This is often one reason why moms do not get to take advantage of spending time with the kids in the great outdoors doing mundane domestic tasks. Raise your personal expectations for your health and wellness, it is time to take charge of your family's leisure time and to engage in healthier outdoor pursuits. 

It is really important that moms themselves get out and about in nature with children, both for their own sense of wellbeing and for the kids: 

Why Is It Important For Moms To Get Outdoors?   

It is important for moms to change up their routines from the daily stresses and strains of working motherhood. Studies have shown that women who engage in outdoor pursuits have more confidence and tend to feel equal to men in all aspects of their lives.

In addition, interestingly, the same study reported that moms exert greater influence over their kids getting outside than dads (40/30%). This often occurs because women do more of the domestic planning for events, keeping diaries, and organizing family schedules.

In regards to your own health, being in nature, even close to home will help reduce your stress and anxiety, and help your heart health.

It has great benefits for children too, they will get a sense of freedom and greater self-expression by being active, and also will be able to get much-needed vitamin D. In relation to their mental state "Nature walks trigger short-term improvements in mood and stress recovery, and there is evidence showing that kids become more attentive and focused after playing in natural settings" per Parenting Science .

It has been shown that spending as little as 120 minutes per week in the outdoors will start producing health benefits. However, the same report advised that the real health benefits would not be reaped until 200-300 minutes per week.

OK, so that’s 3-5 hours per week – and that is still a good slice of time in your schedule, especially during school terms.

So why not incorporate that precious free time into a hobby that you can pursue with your children, and in which you can also while away the time having valuable bonding time and conversation?

We have a suggestion for you – fishing!

More Women Are Enjoying Fishing

You may be surprised to learn that contrary to the stereotype, fishing is increasingly becoming a female pastime, with nearly 50% of new anglers between 2017-2018 being female. There are now more than 20 million women anglers in the USA and their numbers are growing fast.

One reason has been touted that dads tend to go fishing with their buddies and maybe the kids tag along, whereas moms take their kids fishing.

Some women find the task of buying the fishing gear and tackle and little intimidating at first, but organizations like The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation are working hard to encourage recreational fishing and make it more accessible to people across the USA, and to remove the gender stereotyping that may deter female participation.

So What Do You Need To Get Started?

There are a multitude of places to buy quality fishing tackle, both brick and mortar and online stores. One of the most popular places to buy this sort of equipment is Bass Pro Shops. They have a vast range of fishing gear and if you visit the Raise website, you can use some of the coupons on there to save yourself some money!

Having said that you do not need a lot of equipment to get going (but if you are going near any water, take basic precautions, and make sure that you have flotation safety jackets. especially if you are going fishing with children, and emergency distress devices if you are going anywhere remote).

The basic equipment may include

1. Fishing license – check the appropriate state and local license requirements before you set out. You can probably find out online and purchase a license at the local authority’s website or at a convenience store.

2. Spinning reel and rod combo – you will want to use something sold together, so it will be easier to set up.

3. Lure and bait – you can use live worms or even simpler a soft dough substance called Powerbait that is easy to place around a fishing hook.

4. Bobblers – small floating spheres that sink when you have caught something on your lie.

5. Rubber net – which is more humane to the fish’s skin than a nylon or string fishing net.

6. Tacklebox - to store your lures, bait and small tools.

There are literally thousands of different brands of fishing equipment to choose from. If you know any experienced anglers, then he or she should be your first point of reference for advice.

In general, start small, do not overspend, but try to get the best quality equipment that you can afford.

We have keen anglers in the Birth And Beyond Magazine community, so if you have any questions as a beginner, or how you can improve your angling, please reach out to us in the comments below and we’ll refer you over to our expert contributors.