In this outdoorsy and wet episode, guest Beau Miles talks with Hamish about risk taking, learning on the job, and improving as dads. They reflect on the shift from solitary adventures to shared experiences with their families. They discuss the beauty of finding animal bones and the simplicity of adventure. They also emphasize the importance of not taking themselves too seriously and finding joy in simple activities.
Spending quality time with kids through engaging activities fosters a stronger bond and allows them to fully express themselves.
Making an effort to provide fun, creative experiences for kids can have a profound impact on meaningful connections.
Approaching parenting with a sense of joy and playfulness creates a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience for both parents and children.
Deep dives
The Importance of Spending Quality Time with Your Kids
One of the main ideas discussed in the podcast is the significance of spending quality time with your kids. The speaker emphasizes that parents should take the time to engage in activities and adventures with their children, following their lead and embracing their creative curiosities. By doing so, parents can foster a stronger bond, create lasting memories, and allow their children to fully express themselves. The speaker also highlights the need for parents to step back from their own agendas and be present with their kids, letting go of the need for instruction and instead trusting in their capabilities.
The Power of Effort in Parenting
The podcast conversation touches upon the power of effort in parenting. Both speakers agree that making an effort to engage with your kids and provide fun, creative experiences can have a profound impact. They discuss how a little bit of effort, whether it's planning an adventure, creating circuit breakers during an outing, or simply taking the time to reflect together, can go a long way in creating meaningful connections and enjoyable experiences for both parents and children.
Balancing Seriousness and Fun in Parenthood
The podcast episode also highlights the importance of finding a balance between seriousness and fun in parenthood. The speakers discuss how as adults, we often become too serious and take our roles too seriously, even in jobs or hobbies that are inherently fun. They emphasize the need to let go of seriousness and approach parenting, as well as other areas of life, with a sense of joy and playfulness. By doing so, parents can create a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience for themselves and their children.
Importance of Unstructured Learning
The podcast episode highlights the contrast between formal, rote learning in adult education and the need for more creative and immersive learning experiences for children. It emphasizes that children have shorter attention spans and require hands-on, all-encompassing educational activities. The speaker argues for the importance of unstructured learning where children can explore freely and let their imagination thrive.
Adventure and Simplicity
The podcast episode discusses how adventure can be redefined and how it evolved for the speaker over time. It delves into the concept of adventure being more than just physical challenges, but about creating whimsical ideas and embracing simplicity. The speaker shares personal experiences, such as staying in jail cells during travels, to highlight the importance of setting the trajectory and embracing the unknown in adventures. The episode encourages parents to create opportunities for their children to have adventures, reminding them that little sparks of effort can lead to lasting memories.
Adventurer, filmmaker, outdoor education specialist, dad… Beau Miles has got lots of cool descriptors. He’s also infectiously positive and creative, and he put all these things to amazing use in this very different, very outdoorsy and very wet episode.
Exactly 345 km from their respective houses, on a little island in the middle of a giant hydro lake somewhere in the snowy mountains, Hamish and Beau recorded this episode while doing some pretty unique memory making with their kids. Having trekked all day to meet each other, with kids in tow and lugging a lot of gear - they chat about risk taking, learning on the job and about trying to do better as dads. And throughout the chat, it rains. Heaps!
Very excitedly, you can find Beau’s wonderful film about this adventure on his youtube page HERE.
Beau is super honest about all the dadding stuff he’s yet to figure out, but also has many words of wisdom from his time as an outdoor education specialist (which he has a PhD in) working with impressionable kids and young adults. On some of his more audacious adventures he’s also spent many a day on his own, thinking… which we reckon has given him a bit of extra clarity that we can all take something from.
For all things Beau, including films, live shows and books, head to https://beaumiles.com/ - Big thanks to Beau, Mitch and Jodi for making the adventure happen, which was recorded on the beautiful mountain lands of the Ngarigo people.
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And if this episode has inspired you to take a trip and make some memories with your kids, our friends at HERTZ have got you covered. Head to hertz.com.au/hodd to book a car and receive a great deal. Ts&Cs apply. See the website for details on these, as some exclusions do apply.
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