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The Homeschool How To
I don't claim to know anything about homeschooling, so I set out on a journey to ask the people who do! Join me as I chat with homeschoolers to discuss; "why are people homeschooling," "what are all the ways people are using to homeschool today," and ultimately, "should I homeschool my kids?"
The Homeschool How To
#96: From Screens to Streams: Resources to Get Your Kids Outside with Nature Expert, Outdoor Anthony
Did you ever wonder how to reconnect with nature in a world dominated by screens? Join us as we explore this and more with Anthony Porter, an enthusiastic nature educator and content creator with a unique perspective on homeschooling and outdoor learning. Anthony shares his fascinating journey from a childhood teeming with outdoor adventures to becoming a published author of a nature activity book for kids. We delve into the contrasting challenges and rewards of teaching nature to children and creating engaging content for adults. Cheryl also shares her own transformative experience of moving from the city to the countryside, shedding light on the joys and hurdles of embracing a nature-focused lifestyle.
Our conversation navigates the nuanced territory of modern parenting, where balancing the conveniences of technology with the timeless benefits of outdoor experiences is key. Anthony discusses the significance of nature in fostering health and self-confidence, especially for children in urban settings. We explore alternative education models like Waldorf and Montessori, which have gained traction for their immersive, hands-on learning approaches. Reflecting on future parenting, we express our excitement about crafting educational paths that blend modern insights with traditional values, emphasizing the benefits of nature play and experiential learning.
The episode underscores the critical role of unstructured play in childhood development, advocating for more freedom and exploration away from screens. We draw analogies to dolphins thriving in the wild, stressing the importance of balance and variety in children's experiences. Anthony shares insights into his nature journal, a tool designed to inspire outdoor exploration, and his engaging kid-focused videos. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone looking to reconnect with nature, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration for rediscovering the joy of learning in the great outdoors.
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Let's Talk, Emergencies! - Cheryl's children's book, and don't forget
The Activity Book!
The Tuttle Twins - use code Cheryl40 for 40% off ages 5-11 book series
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Welcome, and with us today I have Anthony Porter. Anthony, thanks so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Hello, hello. Thanks, cheryl, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:So, all right, you're not a homeschooler but you're delving into this field. Can you tell us how this has sort of happened in your life?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so funny. It really was drawn to me through nature education. I've been doing nature education for the last eight years around the US and in that time I created curriculum a little bit. I got into teaching kids outside. That got into nature skills, I got into a little bit of survival skills and then ultimately it just kind of landslided into a publisher reaching out, being like hey, we should get together to create a knowledge base of what you have for kids to get out and do nature education. So yeah, I ended up just getting into like a published nature book field where I got to make all these activities and like critical thinking skill activities to get kids outside and happy with their bodies. And it's been a really fun journey. And I've been viral on social media for like a couple years. So it's been fun to kind of see the dichotomy of like I'm making kids books but also making like funny adult content. So it's like it's been a it's been a fun ride.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I kind of don't know where I fall in the social media either. I'm like I'll post something like totally anti-government but then here how to teach your child, and it's somewhere along the line the audience like relates to them both.
Speaker 2:Exactly yeah.
Speaker 1:So walk me back a couple more steps. What even made you think that you'd want to get into teaching kids about nature?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean just from how lucky I think a lot of us feel from growing up in a space where outside time was encouraged and it was almost second nature to us.
Speaker 2:Forgive the awful pun, I guess, but yeah, I think that I mean the more and more technology progresses, the more and more we have to remind ourselves to get back to our roots. And I grew up kind of doing a little bit more of I guess how would you say like Boy Scout-y stuff. But then over time that really grew into my identity and then I told my parents I don't want to go to college, I just want to go out in the woods and protect a plot of land with my life and that's how I'm going to live. And then my parents like that's cute, no, we saved up, you're going to college. So I was lucky enough to do that, but I pigeonholed myself to do like parks and recreation conservation work and teach like outdoor education and leadership classes through my college. And it really just exploded into this online education platform that I have that I make people laugh a lot of the time. I make people learn a little bit. So I'm just trying to find that balance. But yeah, it's been a whirlwind.
Speaker 1:And so my growing up was more of kind of like the city life. I'm not from New York City, but just a couple hours north, and we were never like, nobody ever encouraged me to go outside, other than my mother would call from her desk at work in the afternoons during the summer and say you better get in that damn pool, I'm not paying for that pool, for no one to use it. That was like the extent of be one with nature. Ok, so I never had that and it never even crossed my mind. Right Like that. If it's not, if you're not aware of it, you don't even know that you're missing out on anything.
Speaker 1:But when I met my husband 11 years ago, he lived out in the country and so the first time I came here I thought, oh my God, this guy's coming to kill me. This is why they tell you don't meet somebody on Matchcom. So I I did end up moving in eventually, but like it was this whole era of like oh my God, there's a stink bug on the door, I can't even walk in the house and I would like hide in my car till somebody came home to like, get the stink bug off the door. And then now, now I am a little bit. I am definitely more like let's not kill the bug, let's put it outside so it can be in its environment. So I I have totally made it like a whole 180 there. Um, you know, let's not spray that sounds like a hallmark movie.
Speaker 2:That is like the exact premise of like a hallmark. Like lady in the city and guy from the woods meet up and they clash worlds.
Speaker 1:That's your entire thing. They call it green acres is what they do.
Speaker 2:I see yeah.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it's so funny because now you know, with my son, I'm like well, why would you, why would I subject you to a classroom for six hours a day? It seems to me, if you wanted to learn about the world around you, you'd go in the world around you, right? And yeah it's such a weird concept, so I love this and I actually just signed him up for Boy Scouts this week. I didn't even know they still had Boy Scouts.
Speaker 1:So, what would you say to the mom that was like the person that was like me, who just doesn't even know anything about like why nature is important?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's a huge challenge, because how are you going to relay that to a kid if you're not into it? And you don't have to be into it as a parent. This isn't like your call to. I mean, it'd be awesome if you were, but you don't have to, like I don't know, be something in order for your kid to be part of that thing. So a lot of what like the journal that I made is is like so my epic nature journal. You can go with it with a kid if you want, or just let them roll with the nature journal and it has specific prompts for them. But essentially, all you have to do is leave them the opportunity to get outside and leave them that opportunity to explore themselves.
Speaker 2:If you instill your fears of the outdoors, I think that's a challenge. Don't limit your children based off of your preconceived notion of fear, obviously like, yeah, rattlesnakes are a red flag. Like making sure that those are your red lines, but leaving a lot of wiggle room. Like I've told my mom all the time my mom isn't super outdoorsy, but I went on walks a lot of the time and I'd be like, hey, mom, I'm going to go walk around the block and she wouldn't typically do that, but she enabled me to do that. And then that allowed me to go a little bit further, and there were some cow pastures behind my house and then I walked into those and then I walked out into the hills and then I got to the state park and so by the time I was in high school, I was taking these three-hour-long walks going out into the woods.
Speaker 2:But, as a parent, you don't need to be this encyclopedia of survival knowledge in order for your kids to enjoy the outdoors. Just give them the space to do so. And that's kind of why I have this book that I made. And what is it called? Oh, yeah, look at that Plug time my Epic Nature Journal by. And then this one says by Outdoor Anthony that's my little online moniker, but yeah, by Anthony Porter. You can get it at Amazon, barnes, noble Target all the good stuff. Amazon, barnes, noble Target all the good stuff. But yeah, it's just a little 70-page booklet of activities to get the kids outside reflection pages Like today. I sensed, today I felt, I heard, I touched. So getting that sensory, physical body, I guess just being insanely present in a kiddie way out in the outdoors is where I'm at.
Speaker 2:It's so important. The way out in the outdoors is where I'm at.
Speaker 1:It's so important because it does bring you kind of full circle to like why we're here, how we are one with nature. We are, you know, one with the earth. Grounding is just so important. I had never even heard of that until the last couple of years. Getting into the homeschool groups. You show up to these homeschool groups, you know the first couple and you're like, oh my gosh. You're saying to your kid hide your bagged peanut butter and jelly and goldfish. Like these people are going to think we're nuts and you know they're eating all organic and um, but they're doing things that are.
Speaker 2:You know? It's a breath of fresh air for a lot of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing to see the changes that people have made. Yeah, I mean now I'm drinking raw milk. It's illegal in New York. I have to like get it undercover Like I'm buying drugs or something. So yeah, it's really cool. It's a whole world that has opened up for me. And you know what I think is cool is my kids see me learning right along with them, and you're right, I don't have to be the encyclopedia.
Speaker 1:I'm there to actually learn, like we are doing a little nature study right now, so it's like learning about mushrooms and it just kind of brushed the surface. But I'm like, wow, there is so much to learn about this stuff. And then you go into like just survival things how to make a fire, how to find clean water or shelter that's safe, depending on the elements If you're dealing with like a hurricane situation or tornado. It is just so cool that there's just so many different aspects to learn about it. There. It seems like you could just be your entire homeschooling, could just be delving into things in nature really, because it goes into everything into space, into it is even into robotic stuff and computerized stuff, because all of comes.
Speaker 1:Well, where does a microchip come from? You know it's got to come from a part of the earth. Ok, we excavate it out. So, all right, let me ask you this Do you think that there is? Because I have to get conspiracy theorists on everybody a little bit.
Speaker 1:Is a controlled design to kind of push the masses towards this? Just look at your screen, kind of like not to delve into what's really going on in the world around us and how it all works. Or do you think that's all just like hey, this makes us money and that's why we're doing it? Yeah.
Speaker 2:There's not money to be made going outdoors. I mean, I think we're just such a product of our environments and if you create that as your environment, that's how it's going to go. So I think what happened is just like broad scope, like America is a trendsetter, like we'll start there. So America is a trendsetter and we love capitalism and capitalism literally works in that free market setting where where, yeah, if you make something cool and then people have it, like, people have it, so I think they're it.
Speaker 2:It wasn't intentional to create to where we're at now, but now that the systems are in place, like, let's take we just mentioned matchcom. Let's take the dating apps. Like they have openly admitted that their job is not to like, their goal is not to get you off the app. They're not going to put themselves out of business. Their job is to make you match a bunch of times, have conversations, go on one-off dates all the time. So their goal is to keep you on the app.
Speaker 2:Interesting, no matter if that was the original intention. That's where we're at now and I think that's across the board with anything digital, and I think that's across the board with anything digital, I mean you're making attention a part of your growth, capitalism, corporate planning. I don't think it is a grand design, not a grand conspiracy, but it's just inherent to our culture and it's just kind of like yeah, what are the two things? Like sodium is like pure sodium is totally harmless by itself and like pure I think it's like hydrogen is. There's like two elements totally harmless by themselves. It makes total sense when you put them together. That's when you get like really insane chemical combustion. So I think that's where we're at. We're just it's. It's been like a victim of circumstance, and then the people that are on top have capitalized on it and I think it's not. I'd like to say it's not malicious, but it's just not accounted, like it's not accountable, like the accountability isn't there. So taking things a little bit off the beaten path, I think, is the right way to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now what do you see are the benefits to children who do learn about nature, who are out in nature? Have you kind of studied the overall?
Speaker 2:like the kids that are on the screen all the time or in the classroom versus the kids that are out getting fresh air and grounding we had kids from all walks of life, especially there's the local commune that brought kids in every once in a while and to see the difference in like a kid that was raised just even, even like in Minneapolis or just outside in Duluth, versus like a commune out where, like there's one car and one phone for the whole community, it was crazy. I mean, the kid was like so resilient, he like, yeah, he was covered in dirt all the time. He had dreadlocks, he would jump off stuff that would like the other kids would be like terrified to jump off of. He was, I mean it got a little feral at one point like he was wrestling kids and punching kids but like at a certain point you can see the health benefits and like just the societal benefits of being so raw and unplugged and, um, it was such a huge clash of culture. We actually ended up having to expel him because he's gotten a little too many fights, but because that's like how he and his brothers would like communicate, they'd like wrestle a lot, and he tried to do that with the people that were not in this kind of ideology. And a lot of these kids are, I don't know, from like marginalized communities in the middle of Minneapolis, like it's a totally different landscape. Yeah, they just want to learn like what a tree is, exactly exactly. So I do see the insane benefits of health, of self-confidence. Then again, we are in the 21st century and we also have a lot of awesome benefits of being a part of that. So really like seeing where that blend is for your kid, I think is one of the best things you can do as a parent.
Speaker 2:But the benefits of being outdoors I mean I'm in Tahoe. Literally everyone here is like a transplant from somewhere else that doesn't adhere to the values back home. So this is kind of a runaway for a lot of the people, especially my age, that felt that childhood call to go to nature but couldn't. And so now we're all up here skiing. Everybody up here is like not a ski bum but like ski enthusiasts, super outdoorsy, and I'll say like you don't see any obesity up here. There's like a high level of like education with folks around here. Even though the locals that have lived around here that maybe didn't reach all the way through the finishing of school, they have like a general knowledge of the landscape and have just become natural stewards of the land just because of that. So, yeah, just environmental, like not even knowledge. But environmental comfortability is the name of the game, and if you can give that to your kids, bingo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I also think a lot about how, like our ancestors all knew how to grow food and you know, know, find water and build shelter and that sort of thing like it. Just for centuries and centuries, everyone has learned that it's been passed down and only in the last like generation or two, maybe your, your grandparents, probably knew how to do that stuff, but your parents maybe not, and we? There are very few left, so isn't that? What do you feel about that? What, like you know, do you think that's ironic that, because of the technology, we just abandoned needing to survive?
Speaker 2:No, I think that it's exponential growth of humanity. I think that I mean even your grandparents. If you talk to their great grandparents, they might be having the same conversation about how to ride a horse, you know. So I think the level of differentiation is it's prevalent across all different generations.
Speaker 2:However, I think the exponential rate of technology leads to exponential disassociation to history, and that's, I mean, that's just the way that the world works. I mean, the more that we have now, the less that we have to worry about in the past. So there is a challenge there for sure. But really, I mean, we're at this crazy point in our human history to where, yeah, like the internet, some I mean some people can say that's the most evil thing in the world. I mean, if it was up to me, maybe I'd press a button to turn it off.
Speaker 2:But we have such incredible access to all the knowledge and then using that wisely could be one of the best things you ever teach your children, and then knowing when to get off of it, to go apply the knowledge that you have. So I mean, if you just take us at, like stamp value of where we're at right now, regardless of history, I think we're in this fantastic position to do exactly what you're doing, cheryl, and getting out and forging your own path for your family. So it's a really exciting time and I think the more variety I mean that's the name of the game with nature is diversity the more diversity you have in educational structures and like I mean genetics, but like we don't have to get into that, I think it's just yeah, it's incredible. I mean, when I was a kid, when I was a really young kid, I don't think Waldorf or Montessori or just alternative learning styles were even talked about other than these insane French people, and now those are just super mainstream. So getting into more and more of that, it's really exciting.
Speaker 1:It is yes. When I started interviewing homeschooling families and they talked to me about Waldorf and the classical education, I'm like this sounds like you know, like Trump's kids or the Obama kids would get it Like this is something that people just do in their communities, and now it is. You know. It really is this sort of hands-on learning and tailored to your interests, which is crazy. I'm into it.
Speaker 2:I'm going to do my kids that way. I mean, I don't have kids but I don't know what their names are going to be. I'm going to. I actually want to name my kid Valkyrie and I think everyone's going to. Not let me do that. But having kids doing like, yeah, experiential learning as much as possible, I mean a hundred percent. I don't. I don't see how my kids I'm always scared that, like when I become a father, I'm going to push them too hard towards nature and they're going to rebel against something because they're kids and that's going to be what they rebel against. So, like, leaving them the opportunity to just go find their own adventure. Like I'm a huge proponent of like outdoor activities, I love archery, I love. I think I encourage a lot of people to find their totem of what gets them outside, because not everyone's like, oh my gosh, like what are the vascular properties of this leaf?
Speaker 2:Like they're more like, oh my God, I found like this cool stick and I'm gonna swing it against this tree and see if it breaks, like that's fine, but finding that totem that gets you outside, for me it's archery, but for my kid, like I'm going to see what they find, but still have that general like aura of like yeah, like spend time, like go out there and play, it's way more nice than this like carpeted four by four wall room that we're in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think like too. So as parents we're kind of in this push, pull of there's. You know the 40 hour work week and the drive to and from and then the sports afterwards, and you know there seems to be always a birthday party or something on the weekends. You're just go, go, go that. When you have a moment it's like okay, just sit in front of your screen so I can sit in front of mine, and it's sad. So it's like what do we have to do? We got to shift something right, because we're just not meant to be spending all our time apart as a family, like you go in one direction and I go in another. And that was a big reason for me to leave my job and homeschool because I was thinking, gee, 30 years or 35 years of saying only 20 more till retirement, only 15 more till retirement.
Speaker 1:It's like and then what you get to retirement.
Speaker 1:Your kids are gone, nobody needs you anymore. So that was a big shift for me. But also, like you can say no to the sports, you can. For instance, later on today we meet with a homeschool group that just does either kickball or soccer or manhunt once a week the kids just get together to do that, so they're getting that benefit of playing the sports without the All right. We got practice at 530. We got to get there. We they're getting that benefit of playing the sports without the all right we got practice at five 30.
Speaker 1:We got to get there. We got a game on Saturday morning at 8am and everybody's got to get there and all the grandparents have to come or else they feel guilty, and you know, so it's. It's like taking that almost takes the fun out of it. My son was like I don't want to go, I don't want to go to soccer, Like maybe he would if it were once a week. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so sorry to interrupt.
Speaker 2:I was a kid that did all the sports and the thing that turned it off for me the absolute most was the insane parents that like thought that this was going to like get their kids scholarships and stuff and I wanted to just kick the ball and roll in the grass, specifically rolling the grass. I remember I was playing goalie and I was bored because you just sit there most of the time without any interaction. I remember I was playing goalie and I was bored because you just sit there most of the time without any interaction and I just was playing with the net behind me and my gloves got stuck in the net and everyone, like in the ball, was coming towards me and I was getting all anxious and then I remember specifically the coach just screaming at me like.
Speaker 2:And then at that moment I was like this isn't good.
Speaker 1:I'm not stoked on this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so I think that's that was another realization for me, being like, yeah, I want to play, but like recess play games, like I want to meet after school to do like the the informal stuff, and I think that that really lent well to who I am. Now, yeah, and then yeah, defining spot, like exactly what you said. I mean I remember playing with K'nex and Legos, and after school I remember the best thing to do with my brothers was to make Lego sets and then roll them down our driveway and then see who won, and so just having that availability of just alternative playing things, even if it's outside or inside, just to have that, to let the kids play because they don't want to sit on the screens, that is an addictive immediate gratification like lizard brain thing that they're just satisfying but that's not going to be their default, unless it gets an addiction thing. But yeah, yeah, have fun, and that's. I never thought about it.
Speaker 1:I haven't thought about that before. It's kind of like alcohol, right Like on any normal day you'd be like, no, it's who wants to feel hung over, who wants to put poison in their body. But you either get around people that are all out drinking or you had a rough day and you're like, oh gee, I could use a drink, but it's like you're not, like it's more of the because of what it chemically does to you inside. That makes your brain connect like the fun party to that. It doesn't connect the hangover to it and it's. It's is the same thing as the addiction with the screens.
Speaker 1:They know how to make your serotonin levels boost and release the endorphins so that you feel happy, but you don't feel satisfied and being outside.
Speaker 2:I mean, look at the games that we have. I remember I mean, even if you look at the video games, I mean, heck, look at the games that we have. I remember I mean even if you look at the video games. I mean I played computer games growing up and I played video games. But if you look at what I was really into at fifth grade, I was like really into RuneScape and that was like the entire thing was crafting and going outside and like finding monsters and caves to go into and like that totally like got to my brain.
Speaker 2:But the, the slowness of the game, the way that you had to walk everywhere, like there was no run in the game. You had to walk across this like hundred mile map and all of my friends played this game and it was this slow paced. Sometimes there's fighting, for sure, but you could just go mining if you want and it was like it was so slow. And even the games now that they, they, they do like I feel sorry for the kids that have to deal with the like it changes so fast. The reaction times are fast, Like instead of me just like clicking and then you see the guy walking like oh my God, he's walking. I did that. I think the reaction times of the games now have really lent poorly. If you do want to get your kids into games, I recommend RuneScape because it's just a fun little adventure game where you walk around. But the slow pace of the games I think is worth mentioning.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of science behind that and I've said it before on the podcast that there, when your brain, especially as it's forming as a child, gets used to this and it's even with the TV as far as you know, cocomelon and stuff like that for the little ones, this fast paced change. Their brain gets used to all those screen changes and then, when they don't have that, it actually gets, gives you anxiety and it's happens to us as adults too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what is the the airport thing? The the walking pedway. And then, as soon as it stops and you're at that very end. There's like that jolt and you're like oh well, now everything sucks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so true, and I mean I, my kid, does watch Cocoa Melon. I'm not saying that, you know I follow all of my advice, but I'm aware of it. So when she's like I want Cocoa. Melon I want Cocoa Melon. I'm like, okay, I know why she's saying that. You know, and even my son, he'll play video games on my husband's old N64. So it's like the hand control is still connected to the box.
Speaker 1:It's so funny because, like his older cousins will come over and be like what the heck is this? Don't get too mad, It'll yank it right off the display.
Speaker 1:Awesome, yeah, so it is crazy. I wonder where I mean and I've been hearing too. My kids aren't in the school system, but I've been hearing that more and more classes at younger and younger ages are actually turning to computers to do schoolwork, to avoid, whether it's, you know, printing of the books or carrying around the books. I don't know if you know any truth to that and what harm that could do to kids as they grow up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I think the amazing skill that you can give someone is I mean, we've been doing the skill of writing for 10,000 years at least and the virtue of that is how that can change into other things. And the creativity side of things. I mean, that's really where my brain goes to first is the fact that, like we're going to have a generation of kids that don't know how to draw, they're not going to be as comfortable with a pencil as you and I would be.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, just seeing what that looks like and then even taking it a step further I see AI was not around when I was in college and seeing the insane amount of immediate gratification of just yeah, googling the answer or screenshotting the answer and AI telling you it immediately that where are we going to be, it's terrifying like hey, I'm a fan of ai and automating stuff to where, like, do my job for me, maybe pay me money and then I can go out in the woods and enjoy myself.
Speaker 2:But I think right now it's just getting a tool to cut corners and it's it's really challenging and it's starting started college, it's getting into high school and I don't know how far down the line it's going to go. But at one point are we disabling these children mentally just for not having them just critically think, and that's a scary thing for me. But even the fact that I think that my own personal conspiracy, which is kind of more of a silly thing, is that sunglasses companies make the lenses a little bit more magnified. That way, if you wear them all the time, your eyes are going to get tired and crappy. And then the sunglass frame companies also make prescription company or prescription glasses. So then it's like feeding and making it like its own security. But I mean, imagine the eye wear and tear.
Speaker 1:I mean you pretty much just described like Pfizer and the FDA, Like that's. They're like one hand in your pocket, one hand in mine.
Speaker 2:So I mean, imagine that with kids. I mean, yeah, you're the brands that you have for these iPads and just like the wear and tear on your body that it takes for you to stare at stuff, your brain. I mean therapists 20 years from now are going to have a field day with all these people. Glasses are going to go way up because we're not giving these kids blue light glasses when they're on the screens for eight hours a day at school. I mean, I haven't seen direct impacts of it, but I would. If I knew that was what like, if I had a kid and that was what's happening, I would be exactly where you are, cheryl.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And then I don't know. You just think about how these kids are just detached from kind of like everything. I think a lot about this too. Once I started really looking outside like, okay, what are the bees doing out there? What are these ants doing? What are those birds doing? Everything has this sort of survival instinct. They're looking for food, they're looking for shelter and they're looking to procreate and, you know, keep their babies healthy enough till they can survive on their own.
Speaker 1:And it's funny when you think about human nature today we've kind of taken all of those survival things off the plate and we're kind of like, hey, you don't need to worry about any of it anymore, we gotcha. But that also takes our purpose kind of away from us. When I don't, I don't have to grow food because I can just go to the store or they'll even just deliver it to me, so I don't have to worry about food, I don't have to worry about babies. You know a lot of places it's like, oh, you don't need kids anymore, Like, just go have fun. The kids are overrated.
Speaker 1:And you know a lot of messaging. That's the kind of messaging I got growing up watching Friends and Sex and the City. It was like, oh yeah, I don't want kids, I'm good, I'm good I can travel and be fulfilled and you know, shelter. Nobody has to like really know how to. They all just figure, hey, we'll find a contractor to build our house someday, so it's. It is funny when you remove all those aspects of humanity and survival and then you see, like depression rates kind of skyrocketing. You wonder too if those go hand in hand. Like I don't have a purpose anymore, because now my purpose like I was sitting in a cubicle for 16 years just working for the government, pushing papers here this way and that way and nothing.
Speaker 1:I did really impacted anyone or had any sort of any impact on anyone's lives, right, and so, yeah, what does that? Your worth is gone. So I kind of I think about that a lot too, and now that I have time to sit and look at nature, I'm like, yeah, look at all. We all have the same purpose.
Speaker 2:Me and the stupid stink bug on my screen. I honestly it brings me back to dolphins and it's really stupid. But I think about dolphins have always been like the thing in my brain where when you put dolphins in like a secluded area and it's like a sea world kind of thing, where like they're in like this kind of like sanitized tank and they're doing tricks Like that's what they're doing for food and they hate it, right, and that's not pleasurable for them to do those tricks as much. Now it's been studied that when you release those dolphins out into the wild, they have their whole life. They're doing the whole process of surviving, of making sure there's predators not around and being in a group, the social settings, and then on top of that, once that foundation is set, then they actually teach the other dolphins those tricks and that's like the creme de la creme, that's like the bonus on top. But if you take that bonus and then make that your entire life, like exactly what you're talking about, that's when the misery comes in, the thing that is the auxiliary.
Speaker 2:Frivolence is now frivolity, I guess, is a better word for that, because frivolence isn't a word. That's when it becomes painful, and so I think we see that a lot in our own society, where it's like, yeah, I love chopping wood, I have to do that in order to keep my house warm. That makes me feel so good. And I go home I'm like, yeah, I got to clean my house, I got to chop wood, I got to do laundry, and then I'll have an hour to play guitar and play music. If I go home and play music all day, I'm going to hate it. So finding those balances, I think, is really important.
Speaker 1:I know that's a really big cop out to say balance, but, um, yeah, I don't know, I said enough about it. Dolphins, remember dolphins? Well, no, and I mean, I envisioned this dolphin after they're, you know, fighting off the killer whales. They're like, want to see a trick? I can balance this ball on my nose, but it it's so. True, yes, when you take like something that you love and you're doing it all day long, like playing music, you or or you have to do that for money. Now your brain is kind of stuck. You're like something that you love and you're doing it all day long, like playing music, or you have to do that for money. Now your brain is kind of stuck. You're like well, I kind of just wanted to like play music because I like playing music.
Speaker 1:And now I know I have to get this song written because my producer needs me to have 12 of them written by December.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, you, definitely the fun of it gets taken out of it and I think that's like super tied into like, yeah, I mean, being on an iPad it's kind of fun, I'm not going to lie, it's fun. But if that's what you do for school, if that's what you do for hanging out with your friends, and then that's how you game and that's how you relax, like it just becomes this mind-numbing depression like medium. So yeah, mediation is fantastic Heck. Depression like medium. So yeah, mediation is fantastic. Heck.
Speaker 2:I mean, my kids probably at some point will have iPads in their hands. But I'm going to try to limit that as much as possible because there's so much, there's so much to see in the world and I think if you don't have enough opportunity for your kid to get out, that's probably because you just need to change the scenery. And I think a lot of my friends that have like have told me about depression and their anxiety and how things go like. Once they change their literal, physical setting, it just stimulates your mind more and you don't worry about that stuff.
Speaker 1:so those ruts that we get into, I think is it's terrifying do you have to live in a country setting to use that book and and do your nature journal, or can you be in a city?
Speaker 2:yeah, I, I made this for literally anybody. A lot of this is like go to your local park, go to your balcony, like at your apartment complex, any of that stuff. It's totally up for interpretation. And then, yeah, you go out in the woods and go really far with it, but it's really meant for everybody, which I'm pretty stoked that I thought of that.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:But yeah, the goal for it is like finding adventure in your own backyard, whether that's a 10 square feet of concrete that you see an ant on, or it's the woods behind your house.
Speaker 1:Right, and they're. Usually. Communities have some sort of community park or garden or space that you know, know everybody can use. Even new york city has central park, so it's there, you don't have to look under the subway car there is dirt and I tried to.
Speaker 2:Also I priced it really low. I think they're um. You can get them from me for 10 bucks. I think online they're like 12 bucks, but I tried to price them as low as possible. That way I can just get um. I want to get it in Like yeah this is not a moneymaker at all, trust me.
Speaker 1:I know, but I just wrote a children's book and getting it out there. Everyone was like yes, you need to. You need to write something for people to buy If you, you know, want to have this online platform. And I'm like, well, I interview homeschoolers because I don't know how to homeschool, so I'm interviewing the people who do. So. I feel dumb writing something about how to homeschool.
Speaker 1:It's literally the premise of my podcast that I don't know how to homeschool. So I was like, well, I was noticing that as I'm teaching my kids, I'm like you know, nothing talks about how to call 911 from a cell phone, especially if it's locked, and do we even talk about stop, drop and roll anymore? Is there dare anymore? What do you do if a stranger comes up to you? Or the online stuff? So, yeah, that's why I wrote my let's Talk Emergencies book.
Speaker 2:But yes, going back to that, I saw it in the corner there I'm like, dang, that's a some nice color in there. You got got a good artist.
Speaker 1:Well, that's because? Well, yes, because I paid at the wazoo for her, because I wanted it to look good. But then I realized I don't make anything from selling children's books.
Speaker 2:So I got a really pretty colorful book.
Speaker 1:No, but I love the idea of what you're doing and I think, just teaching our kids, like I do a nature study with my son now, just because I don't know anything about nature and I find that like it is so interesting, and I'm going to get your book too because he I like the idea of going out and journaling and them, them having like a physical thing that they can use to either write in or kind of remember the event. First of all, for homeschoolers. That's so cool because at the end of the year, the school year, you know, teachers give the parents here's the big thing of you know the folder of all the projects. See what we did all year. Long thing of you know the folder of all the projects, see what we did all year long.
Speaker 1:You couldn't do this at home, but it gives you, as the parent homeschooling and the child a kind of finished product of hey, this is what we did from start to end and this is what we learned, and we have a physical evidence that we did that. And also over the years, you know, you go back and look through your old stuff and you see all this cool stuff that you learned in nature. So I love that idea. So is it- I'm glad.
Speaker 1:A lot of journaling, like your experience. What you see, is there actual educational stuff that you're explaining to the child, or more sending them out to find little adventures on their way?
Speaker 2:Man, that is a question.
Speaker 1:I can edit that out.
Speaker 2:So this book has drawing pages. So the kids kind of go from like ages three to 11. Three is like assisted if the parents want to do it with them. But there's a lot of drawing, like today I saw this and you draw whatever it is and then you talk a little bit about what you saw. So it's yeah, today I sensed, today I felt what was really cool about what I saw today, and so those are.
Speaker 2:Basically there's a lot of entries about just like general stuff that you do want your kids to remember, and then it's broken up into activities so you can go out and there's a page on how to make a tree fort or the benefits of a rope swing, just anything to get them outside. Like what constitutes a bug? Right, like the three different parts of a bug that make it a bug, like two antenna, three parts of their body, six legs, and there's an activity based all around that in the book. So there's crafting pages, there's activity pages and there's also reflection pages where you can go back and be like what was my favorite thing about going outside today? Like if I could spend the day outside with anybody, who would it be? And it's really cute. Exactly what you're saying like five years from now reading that and you're gonna be like, oh, it says like my brother, eric, or my Nana or like whatever.
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of different. It's not just a straight nature journal. I was thinking about that, but I wanted to make it more Anthony and my brain just goes to activities. So, yeah, very activity heavy and yeah, I've gotten some really fun reviews back from it and I actually post a little bit of the happy faces of kids that are using the book on my social media. So if you want to check out Outdoor Anthony, they have, like I have, a little highlight reel of all the happy, happy kids that are doing it and I just got another one this morning which is adorable.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, we will get your book and send you a photo of my son as well.
Speaker 2:Beautiful Yep, he's going up on the wall.
Speaker 1:I love that. And you know what's so cool too? I mean because a lot of times, like as the parent that didn't grow up in nature, you get out there and you're like, now what do we do? Because to me it's just cold, but especially up in your, if you're in the Northeast, like I am, I mean you could take that book and you could do one for each of the seasons, because you're going to see something different, whether it's fall or spring or winter. You know it's all going to be different, but it directs you so that you don't have to sit there and say like, okay, let's, you know, take out your little matchbox cars and drive, if you're you know, if you don't want to get down on your hands and knees and drive around it guides you to do different things and learn together.
Speaker 1:That's that's really cool.
Speaker 1:I love that I hope you continue with a series and, you know, as the kid gets older. And what I was also going to say too is for the homeschooling parent. You know there's something we kind of call like family style learning and also like learning across subjects, which this is great for that, because so you take out your your nature journal and you go on a little walk and every you're one observing nature and stuff around you, but then you're also writing. So your kids getting the experience of writing, they're getting story, because they're like, well, I saw this and it made me feel like this. So they're kind of learning their english, their words. You know, you're, you can use sticks to do some math or, okay, let's you know how how many rocks can we find all right.
Speaker 1:If we add four more, how many would that be? And so you can kind of bring your math into it from there. You, you can talk about history. You can take anything that you learned that day right and and say, well, let's go look up the history about that, either, whether beyond the, the all evil chat, gpt or the internet, but you know. Or go to your library and find a book on, you know, maybe, the history of uh, of, of the first quartz rock that was ever found, or blade of grass, or dandelion. Who discovered a dandelion? Where do they grow all over? Do they have any health benefits? So you're, you're getting the science in there and the history. So you know, parents might look at like homeschooling parents might look at it and say, oh, that's just another book to add to the curriculums we already do, but it's like no, no, no, no.
Speaker 1:This can literally be your curriculum. You have this sort of you know unschooling approach where you're just letting your child guide you on what they want to know about and you tailor it and you're learning the whole day and I tell you what you're learning more than a kid sitting in a classroom for six hours is going to learn.
Speaker 2:That's true. There's also yeah, I think I really like a couple of the activities that I put, because it's scalable, like there's one that's how far can you jump? It's called leap and lemurs, and so if you can jump like five inches well, that's the same length as a cricket can jump. Then we keep going. The goal is to jump as far as however you want to jump, but there's thresholds. You can come back to the same activity a bunch of times and be like all right, maybe I can make it to what was another one that's in there like a frog or whatever. Then same thing with hanging how long can you hang on a bar at a playground? There's little check boxes like five seconds, 10 seconds, a minute, like, to see how long you can do. So there's challenges, I guess is what you can say. That's brilliant For that exact thing. Yeah, if you have boys, you don't need to like. This is kind of like a recess book challenges and then compete with their friends.
Speaker 1:You know how far I can jump and how long I can hang. My son was just doing that the other day on the swings with his friend having little challenges, so I love that. And then relating it to an animal, and so if you were using this as your curriculum, okay, well, if you can jump as far as a cricket, let's go find out three facts about crickets today and you know. So you're just learning more. I love that. I am definitely going to get this book and I will report back to you with a smiling photo of my son.
Speaker 2:Hey, I'll put it right up off of the monkey bars. Yeah, don't sue me.
Speaker 1:Anthony, anything else you wanted to let people know about? Where can they find you? I will link everything in the show's description so they don't have to go far. But if you want to let them know, let's see.
Speaker 2:So I really I have everything through my social media page. I'm starting to create kids videos to go along with some of the activities. So I have, like Anthony goes sledding, anthony traces leaves on a piece of paper and it's very like three to five year old focused activities. That's on my outdoor. Anthony kids it's what it says kids at the end YouTube page and yeah, there's, there's a whole kids it's what it says kids at the end YouTube page and yeah, there's a whole bunch. I would say some of my videos that are on my regular social media that have gone viral have more of an adult twist to them just because of the jokes. But yeah, there's plenty of. Every week I try to get a new skill out there for people to learn. So I'm always happy to chat. If you guys have ideas or anywhere, just hit me up. I'm very open to messaging with anybody and talk to them.
Speaker 1:Awesome, Anthony. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Tell us the name of the book again this is my Epic Nature Journal by Outdoor Anthony, or just Anthony Porter, however you want to say it.
Speaker 1:Anthony, thank you for being here today. This has been so fun. Cheryl, you rock. Thanks for doing what you do.