Spend Time Together
by Rusty Jackson, B’n’M Poles
Kids crave time together. In most instances it doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as they are doing it with you.
When Cooper was little, I always tried to make things fun. By that I mean a little fishing and a lot of stick throwing, bug catching, and whatever else piqued his interest. The key was to make it fun.
I never got mad when he would stomp in the mud, throw rocks in the water or just got ready to go because he was hot. Our fishing trips were about him, not me.
Secondly, we did lots of short trips where he could catch fish quickly. It was more about catching numbers of fish and not long trips searching for a monster fish. This kept his attention and built his confidence. We would catch tons of small bluegill/bream and he would be so happy at what he had done. At a younger age it didn’t matter if the fish was the same size as the cricket—it was a fish and HE caught it!!!!
Lastly, he got a lot of praise, recognition, and atta-boys that made him feel good and proud of himself. Which in turn encouraged him to want to do more and be better.
Take a kid fishing, be patient, and both you and the child will be rewarded with memories that will last a life time. Remember it’s about the time spent together and catching is the cherry on top!
