By Shara Lawrence Weiss

Long ago, people fished for the primary purpose of obtaining food. Even then, however, kids were learning valuable lessons through fishing:

• Self reliance
• Patience
• An appreciation for nature and wildlife
• A respect for the cycle of life / food chain
• The excitement of a catch!

We recently took our children fishing while on a short holiday. As I watched my children (especially our daughter) enjoy the experience, I was reminded of the numerous benefits this activity brings. My children helped unload the car and carry bags and tackle boxes down. They watched their father and I get the rods set up and anxiously awaited the placing of the lines into their little hands. They giggled as we threw the lines into the water. They witnessed first-hand the need for quiet time and patience.

When the ducks came by, everything was tossed aside as they ran to watch the splashing and playing.

When they returned to their rods we sat together talking about nature, the water, the fish, and the fun we were having. We didn’t catch any fish, but that turned out to be a great opportunity to chat about patience and perseverance.

Later, I framed a photo of my kids sitting on the dock. They look at that photo daily and talk about our fishing trip, the ducks, the fact that we didn’t catch any fish, and about how next time…we might!

Learning can happen in everyday situations. If we actively seek those moments, our children will learn to learn – all day long, every day. 

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” Clay P. Bedford