A few Questions with Kid at Heart -Bethe Almeras

As a huge fan of  The Grass Stain Guru, I was thrilled when Bethe agreed to answer a few questions.

Bethe Almeras is an award-winning author, web producer, and designer. A gifted speaker and trainer, Bethe prides herself on being a kid at heart and sharing the benefits of play with others.

I love Bethe’s enthusiasm for play, nature and laughter. The Grass Stain Guru is one of my favorite sites and Bethe is one of my favorite people on Twitter.

What kind of child were you? What were the defining moments in your childhood that relate to nature?

I know many will find this hard to believe, but I was a rather shy, quiet child; thoughtful, and creative, often lost in my own world. I was never very girly, and I was crazy about animals — always sneaking strays into the house or sneaking food out to feed them. While I got much bolder and sassier with age (obviously!), many of those traits, even shyness, are still with me today.

I grew up in a very chaotic household, and my favorite activities were things that were peaceful and “transported me” far away – playing in the woods, drawing and coloring, and reading.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a fantastic neighbourhood that had a decent-sized patch of woods and a creek at the end of our street. Above it was a large park with a playground. While many kids spent time up on the playground, I was the girl in the creek – knee-deep in the cool water, building dams and catching crayfish. To me, this patch of woods was the whole wide world. I was there every day, climbing trees, playing shipwreck or detective, or simply hunting for bugs and frogs. Completely content, and often dirty from head to toe.

With advocates  like yourself, heavily involved in the movement to reconnect children to nature –what are your hopes for the next generation?

That they grow up with fond memories of childhood – filled with play and enjoying the outdoors. I can’t imagine what kind of memories kids that spend 6.5 hours a day, which is the current average in America, (Keiser Family Foundation), are going to have. I also hope that they grow up knowing nature as something to love, and not just having this abstract notion of the environment as this problem-based entity that is a sum of actions and reactions that they must take.

I also hope that they grow up with a sense of adventure, resiliency, whimsy, and an appreciation for the ride. I’m afraid with the current fear-based atmosphere, level of materialism, and prevalence of helicopter parenting, that this is going to be an uphill battle.

I wrote a piece that is a good fit for this question: 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids, that I would love to have your readers check out.

Blogging and social media is a great platform to create a buzz and get the word out about restoring childhood. How do you reach others who are not active in the social media environment?

I do speaking and training on issues related to play and connecting kids and all of us with nature. I’ve also been lucky enough to do quite a few radio interviews. In the future, I plan on writing a Grass Stain Guru book as yet another way to reach out to people.

Can’t wait to read your Grass Stain Guru book!

You are such an inspiration. What is your secret to juggling work, family, and fitting time for outdoor fun and what advice would you give to others who feel overwhelmed by the amount of activities vying for their attention?

Awww, that’s so sweet. Well, just like everybody else, some days I am a lot better at it than others. I think that you just have to admit that balance takes a lot of work, and some days it’s OK to leave the chores undone or have cereal for dinner – or both! I try and work a walk in on my lunch break – even a few minutes outside during the day really boosts my mood and my creativity. I also think it is really important to be honest about your schedule, and if you have kids, theirs. It’s putting undue stress on everyone to have multiple activities a week to have to shuttle back and forth from, and in the long run, it’s taking away a lot more from all of you than it is giving.

I always encourage parents to only have kids in one organized activity at-a-time so they actually have time to be kids – go outside and play, relax, hang out with friends, etc. Also, this will prevent your primary role from being taxi driver and schedule keeper, and actually have time to spend some stress-free enjoyable time with your kids.

Unstructured time is vital for all of us, especially children. So many of kids today have very adult schedules – over-scheduled and over-taxed. I think it’s time to put a stop to that. Kids are kids, and we adults need to remember that.

Now that Christmas is fast approaching, what is your favorite outdoor Christmas activity?

I love to take moonlit walks on clear winter nights. There is something so peaceful about the brand of quiet that is found under a night sky among the backdrop of the holiday hustle and bustle. Of course, the walks are followed by hot chocolate. (And I would like marshmallows with mine, please.)

And finally, if you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Hands-down: Sir Ken Robinson. I am absolutely fascinated and excited about his work on creativity and education. I have given his most recent book, The Element, to several people as gifts. I have written about him before on the Grass Stain Guru, and cannot wait to get the chance to see him speak in person. Plus, I think he would be an absolute blast to go have a beer with.

You can follow Bethe on Twitter @balmeras and check out her fabulous website: The Grass Stain Guru