"Preschool fishing trip - Give plenty of preparation to avoid turning them off forever!"
Jul 10 '00
While on a pre-school field trip with my five year old daughter this past spring, it became apparent to me that something I have loved my entire life was very frightening and confusing for her. Her Mommy was "oh, yuck!" actually touching a "slimy old fish" and sticking her fingers down it's throat to get the hook out. She left vowing "never, ever" to go fishing again. And, this folks, was about the sum of our much awaited fun-filled day trip to the local trout farm.
I had a grand old time reliving my childhood fishing trips while my daughter fearfully stood behind a tree all morning. Partly not wanting to watch her mommy touch the fish, but mostly because she was deathly "afraid" of the entire event.
I believe the biggest mistake about our trip was that no one explained to my five year old what to expect. In her preschool class, they discussed what to do and not to do while on the field trip, but no one got into the gritty details about what "fishing" is all about.
Next year, when my son's preschool class will make their first fishing debut, here's definitely what I will do to avoid any confusion:
1. Talk about fish and their environment, fish and their life cycle, and why people fish for their occupation, sport, or just for fun. I will buy books about fishing with lots of pictures.
2. Explain "in detail" what the act of fishing is all about. Maybe people avoid this for fear that their kid's will not want to go fishing at all, but I think the fear would have been much less for my daughter, had she the opportunity to prepare mentally for what she was going to see.
3. Take gloves. I think the site of her mommy, bare handed, touching a fish was too much. Next time, I'll take gloves for both my kid's benefit (and mine!) My hands smelt like fish for days!
4. Take the fish home and cook them. You would not believe how many moms either gave their fish to someone brave enough to take them home or threw them away in the nearest trash can. I think an important part of the experience, is showing your kids that you are not afraid to touch, prepare, clean, and cook the fish. It certainly brings the fear factor down and takes all the guesswork out of "what happens to the fish after they die?"
5. If you can't be a positive influence in your kid's first fishing experience, send Daddy or someone who can! Kudos to the moms who knew that fishing was not their thing and sent Dad or Grandpa along for the experience. Fishing should be fun for kids and if their mother is squeamish and unexcited, how much fun do you think your kids will have?
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Epinions.com ID:
BeckLuther
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Location: Pacific Northwest
Reviews written: 104
Trusted by: 35 members
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