207: Connecting with Your Kids through Nature with Greta Eskridge
Mar 27, 2024Season 4Episode 207
Greta Eskridge, Author and Host of The Greta Eskridge Podcast
In this episode Carole Joy Seid is joined by Greta Eskridge, a homeschooling mom of four and author of two books, "Adventuring Together" and "100 Days of Adventure." Greta shares her personal experiences of how spending time in nature has transformed her relationship with her children, her faith, and her family as a whole. They discuss the impact of Christian camping, personal experiences at Forest Home, and the need for genuine connections in a digitally connected world.
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In this episode Carole Joy Seid is joined by Greta Eskridge, a homeschooling mom of four and author of two books, "Adventuring Together" and "100 Days of Adventure." Greta shares her personal experiences of how spending time in nature has transformed her relationship with her children, her faith, and her family as a whole. They discuss the impact of Christian camping, personal experiences at Forest Home, and the need for genuine connections in a digitally connected world.
Gain fresh vision for homeschooling! Join us for a seminar this year in the Minneapolis, Nashville or Dallas areas. Or join us on our live webinar, June 1, 2024. Sign up HERE on our website
Help us share the message of homeschool made simple with others by leaving a rating and review. Thank you for helping us get the word out!
Greta Eskridge:
I really believe, one of the best gifts we can give to our kids, who are into ourselves. We're all so connected, but not with real life connections. We're connected digitally and we need to get connected to nature, to God's creation, to the outdoors and to one another in that setting, as way more than most of us are.
Rachel Winchester:
As homeschooling parents, we have a lot on our plate. It's easy for the pressures of everyday life to get in the way of us bonding with our kids. We spend all day together, but the day fills up with meal prep and lessons, chores and the ordinary rhythms of life at home. However, a huge reason we are home with our kids is so we can spend time with them, so we can know them and bond with them. One of our favorite ways to do that is through reading together, and another great way to bond with your children is to get outside together. Today we're talking about bonding with our kids in nature.
Rachel Winchester:
You're listening to the Homeschool Mainsimple podcast with Carol Joy-Side. This is a podcast to help you homeschool simply, inexpensively and enjoyably. One of the marks of a great education is time spent in nature. Carol spends a lot of time talking about the importance of nature, both for your child's development and as a child's first introduction to science. In this episode, carol is joined by Greta Eskridge, homeschooling Mama Four, an author of two books Adventuring Together and 100 Days of Adventure. She knows what it's like to pack a car full of kids up for a nature walk and says it's one of the best things she's ever done with her kids over the years. If you're looking for a simple way to bond with your children, this episode is for you. Listen in.
Carole Joy Seid:
So welcome friends. I am super excited today, as I'm sitting across a Zoom screen, which I hate with my dear friend, greta Eskridge. Greta is going to tell you all about her ministry and her passion, but just a little bit about her is that she lives in Southern California, very close to where I live. She has three boys and a girl, most of them teenagers, and she's written several books and one of her heroines is my heroine. So we have a ton in common because Greta loves the wild outdoors. So welcome Greta.
Greta Eskridge:
Aw, thank you. I'm really really happy to be here with you.
Carole Joy Seid:
Thank you. So tell us about your passion. I know your homeschool mom raising four amazing children. What are the age range of your kids?
Greta Eskridge:
Right now. They're all just about to have a birthday. We're entering birthday season, so I'm going to give you their upcoming birthdays. They'll be 20, 18, 16, and 13. Oh, my word 20.
Carole Joy Seid:
I don't think I knew you had a 20-year-old.
Greta Eskridge:
Yeah, l am getting teary-eyed . I'm just thinking about it.
Carole Joy Seid:
Oh honey, that's so sweet. Wow, and have you raised them in Southern Cal and toward the beach? It sounds like two right bacteria.
Greta Eskridge:
Yeah, they're third generation Southern Californians and lived here our whole life. They love the ocean, love the beach. I mean it's pretty cold the Pacific Ocean. Even in Southern California right now it has to be in the maybe the high 50s. And my daughter said yesterday she's like, oh, I just want to go to the beach and go swimming and I'm like you're crazy. And she would go without a wetsuit, like I mean hardcore.
Carole Joy Seid:
Wow, well, you've raised her. Wow, that's really good, because most Southern Californians I hate to say it they never let their children see the light of day because weather is never good enough for a Southern Californian. So there's like three days that they like, okay, you kid should go outside, otherwise what's in Anna's? Well, no, it's too hot. No, it's too cold, it's too windy, it's too. And you're like are you joking? Because people in Minnesota spend more time outdoors with their children than people in Southern California.
Greta Eskridge:
That's a miss. They should. That should not be the case. I will say it rain like we've had a not our super rainy winter, but like it, the third day of rain, and all of us are like, oh my gosh, when is the sun coming back? We need to go outside. We're dying. It's so cloudy, it's so dark, because we do love to be outside, that's awesome.
Carole Joy Seid:
Well, tell me about your passion for the outdoors and what brought you to really beginning a ministry to share that with others.
Greta Eskridge:
Well, I think I love being outside. Ever since I was a little girl. I remember distinctly spending just just like all day outside, like kids did when we know. We were growing up and we had like an avocado grove across the street from our house, so we would go play in the avocado grove. There was an empty field with tall grass and we would go, you know, build forts in the grass. My dad built us a really cool treehouse in our backyards. We played in the treehouse. I remember even when I got old enough to do schoolwork on my own. My mom would let me take a blanket outside and I distinctly remember the days when the poppies the California poppies were in bloom and there'd be this beautiful green grassy field filled with poppies and I would lay my blanket outside and read my schoolbooks and pretend I was, you know, an agree gables and I just loved. I loved being outdoors. It was the place where I felt just really happy.
Carole Joy Seid:
Yes, oh. And then how did that translate into your parenting?
Greta Eskridge:
Well, again, I have some distinct memories of the time. I mean, of course, when my kids were little. You know, you take them for walks around the block, you go to the park, they play in the backyard, play in the front yard, whatever. But there was a point where I had a four year old, a two year old and a newborn.
Greta Eskridge:
I was deep in the throes of crumbs and diaper changes and breastfeeding and body draining, snacks all the time, toys everywhere, trying to be on that strict nap schedule so that I could get a minute to myself, and I kind of felt like I was drowning, being inside the house so much of the day, even if we would go into the backyard to play. I felt like the walls closing in on me. I wasn't my best version of myself, yeah, I wasn't flourishing. I wasn't the best version of myself as a mom, and I wanted to get away from that routine, not all the time, but every once in a while at least, so that I could really just be totally focused on my kids. Because when I was home, in the house especially, it was so easy to feel like I had this to-do list hanging over my head. The laundry had to be done, I needed a sweep up after breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks, clean up the toys, get them down for a nap, and the to-do list became more important than connecting with my kids.
Rachel Winchester:
We are taking a short break from the show to tell you about our in-person seminars coming up in 2024. Our newly revised and updated booklists are hot off the press. You don't want to miss our very own American History handout for the elementary years. Carol and JJ will be teaching our basic seminar, a literature-based approach to education, where you'll learn the framework and get the tools you need to homeschool with confidence. We have seminars coming up in Minnesota, dallas and Nashville later this year and if you aren't able to come to any of those locations, you can join our live webinar on June 1. To learn more, visit our website at homeschoolmadesimplenet forward slash seminars. We can't wait to see you in 2024. Now back to the show.
Greta Eskridge:
So that was when I decided I was going to get out more than just out in the backyard, more even than a walk around the block, but like somewhere where it was really much more naturey for lack of a better word and take them out onto a trail where we weren't looking at houses in our neighborhood, we were seeing all kinds of different trees and plants and maybe even animals and bugs, and we were going to do that regularly. Every week I was going to spend a big chunk of a whole day outside with my kids, and that was transformational to me as a mother and our relationship with one another, with God. It gave me the breath of air that I needed as a mom.
Carole Joy Seid:
Yes, and so how did this then become a ministry where you shared the things you learned with others?
Greta Eskridge:
Well, I started a nature group with other homeschool moms or do you do that? It's a long story. I'll try to keep it short. It's not my strength, but I'll try.
Greta Eskridge:
I just was praying for fellow homeschoolers. I always knew I would homeschool my kids and tried to find some various groups in my area. None of them were quite right. And then I stumbled upon. The Lord led me to a group of moms who were practicing Charlotte Mason style of education, and it was just monthly group where we would get together and read her books. And I didn't know about Charlotte Mason, even though I was raised, homeschooled, but I didn't know who she was. But I was instantly intrigued and connected.
Greta Eskridge:
In that group of moms there were a few of us who all had kids the same age, five-year-olds and younger. We were like well, we should meet every week and be outside with our kids in homeschool together. And so we did. We started and we're actually in our I've lost track, I think like our 16th year of a group together and there are three of us that are the three original we call ourselves the founding mothers and then others that have been along for almost the whole time as well, and so that became part of just our weekly homeschool and lifestyle routine.
Greta Eskridge:
Every week go out and spend the whole day outside together, exploring, learning together, hiking, tide pooling, all that stuff. And then from that has grown me writing and speaking about. I call it creating connection in a disconnected world, because I really believe one of the best gifts we can give to our kids who are, and to ourselves. We're all so connected, but not with real life connections. We're connected digitally and we need to get connected to nature, to God's creation, to the outdoors and to one another in that setting as way more than most of us are.
Carole Joy Seid:
Yes, Whoa, and you've written a couple of books. What are they called?
Greta Eskridge:
So the first one is called Adventuring Together, Creating oh gosh, I always forget the subtitles in my books. I'm the worst author. Basically it's about creating connection and making lasting memories with your kids. I always say the adventure is the vehicle and connection is the goal. So in the book I share all these ways you can connect with your kids. That's the ultimate goal with using the vehicle of adventure, and not all of them are outdoor adventures, but many are, because I just think it's such a natural place for those kind of connections to happen. And then the second book is a book for kids and it's called A Hundred Days of Adventure and in it I created a hundred adventures for kids to get out and experience the world, whether it's through nature or through books, through cooking, A lot of things that I love to do when I was a little girl, things that my kids love doing, and there's 25 adventures per season and, yeah, it's full of just fun stuff to do off of screens.
Carole Joy Seid:
Oh, it sounds amazing. So let's talk a little bit about our mutual friend, henrietta Mears. We both love her. I discovered Henrietta Mears during the Jesus movement at Calvary, costa Mesa. We had a little prayer room behind the sanctuary and when people would give their life to Christ then they would ask them to go in there, and then there'd be counselors in there and people that would pray with them and give them Bibles and a correspondence Bible study. Well, so one day I was in that room for something I don't know why, and there was this book there and I've never met a book I didn't like, so I had to pick it up and check it out and it was about Henrietta Mears. So I brought it home and I think I knew about her because of regal curriculum or regal press. So I took it home, I read the book in like two days and then I brought it back to Calvary and put it on the bookcase.
Carole Joy Seid:
But ever since then I began to delve into her life and so she was raised in Minneapolis in a very affluent home and she almost got married and the Lord revealed that the gentleman who she was going to marry's character was off and she at the last minute. He was the love of her life, called off the engagement and she never did marry. But she became a education director at her church in Minneapolis and then she met the pastor of Hollywood, resbyterian, and they became besties. And so he said, henrietta, when are you going to come and work for me? And she said, oh, that's never going to happen. And he's like, well, you need to come visit Hollywood. And she's like, no, that would never happen. But then she or her sister went to Europe and on their way home which is not convenient to go to California, but for a reason they stopped at Hollywood Pres and the Lord called her there and they bought a beautiful house across from UCLA, kind of a mansion, and they began to minister to the kids at UCLA, particularly the boys.
Carole Joy Seid:
Because Henrietta's philosophy was if you attract the best men, the women will come. So many things she did, but mainly what she did was she invested in the education of children. They call her the mother of evangelism is there such a word? Anyway, she's the mother of the evangelical world. And then, of course, what she's also wonderfully known for is her love for camping and the outings, and so how would rent all these different camps, all church would go on family camp together and and it the church kept growing and they had 5000 people in their Sunday school. So she ran out of space, there was nowhere to rent, it was big enough and she prayed and somebody said, well, come up and see this camp. And they drove her. And one miracle after another, they bought it for like 10, you know, and it is still, I think f Home is considered probably the greatest Christian camping ministry in America. Yeah, so tell us about your link there and and how how h impacted your life gosh.
Greta Eskridge:
I mean, I went to force home the first time when I was a young teen and I went to work. They have a special ministry for their family camp, which is a camp that runs all summer long and it's really special because, you know, a lot of times you think of summer camp like kids go away from their families, which is super fun. I love doing that when I was a kid, but there's also really special time where a whole family could go to camp together and there's just not as many opportunities like that. I think, like a lot of times, if you're a mom with a bunch of little kids are like oh my gosh, taking my kids camping. Yes, I know it's wonderful, but it's so much work and so what force home does? It's like, hey, we're going to offer you the opportunity to have this super deeply connecting and bonding experience to camp with your family. But we're going to make it easier for you. We're going to cook all the meals. You get to sleep in a cabin, not an attend, and they have babysitters. So in the evenings, when they have special speakers for the parents to listen to, so that the parents are getting ministered to, they have babysitters for the kids.
Greta Eskridge:
So I went the first time as one of those babysitters and I loved it and I saw these parents, that family camp, and I thought, wow, one day wouldn't it be so wonderful to be able to bring my family here? I would love that. And lo and behold, many years later, my family got to do that. We get to go to family camp and the first time we went together as a family, I believe, was about eight years ago and, honestly, family camp at force home has just radically impacted the faith of our whole family and I would say as individuals, so each one of us, our faith has been impacted in a really profound way, grown our faith, we've connected deeply with Jesus. But it's also impacted the faith of our family as a whole. It's opened up communication for us to be able to talk about the kind of church environment we wanted to be in, the kind of faith we wanted to have as a family. And we've grown closer because of our years at force home.
Greta Eskridge:
Because after that first year my husband, I, were like, whatever it takes, we're going to come back and we've come back every year since this summer that's coming up, my oldest will be working as a counselor at force home. So he's he's going to be one of those counselors for those little kids. My daughter has been a babysitter, like I was for kids, every summer. This summer she's going three times and it's just, it's a really special so special in fact that my husband calls it Rivendell, which if you know the story of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, that's extremely special place of rest and refreshment and spiritual connection, and that's what force home is to us. It's. It's a remarkable place. It really is and it's touching so many people's lives. For Jesus.
Carole Joy Seid:
I know, and, and the other thing that I love to trace is the power of Christian camping in significant people's lives. So I don't know what camp Pastor Chuck was raised at. It might have been at force home, but he tells the story of always wanting to be a surgeon and he thought he would make lots of money and be able to invest in the kingdom and he would help people. He loved science and he was away at camp and I kind of think it might have been forced home. And at the last night there's this bonfire with you all. Get a pine cone, see, henrietta invented all these things. So when it came time for him to put his pine cone in the fire and kind of, your, dedicated, your, you know, the Lord spoke to him and called him to the ministry. So he knew that was the Lord and he put his pine cone and he went back and he said to his mother who you know, he had another.
Carole Joy Seid:
He was another miraculous birth, similar situation his sister had died, was going into convulsions and was dying. Other said if you will save my daughter, lord, I will give you this child that I'm carrying and I will disciple him. And so she never told me that his whole you would follow him around values because he was an athlete. She'd be making him recite scripture, and I mean it's amazing story. But the point is that she had never told him about his birth and that she had given him to the Lord for ministry. So he comes home from camp and he says mom, I don't want you to be disappointed, not going to be a certain. She said oh really. And then he said I'm the pastor and he, she never told him until she was in the last days of her life. And so again, can we trace this back to Henrietta?
Greta Eskridge:
and yeah, I mean, even in my own life. One of the transformational, hugely transformational moment happened for me when we were at family camp before some years ago. The speaker that was there is Josh McDowell. I'm sure you've heard of Josh and he was speaking about the dangers of pornography and how it's impacting the Christian church and specifically children, and I so called to use the platform God has given me to speak out on that issue and I spoke to Josh and I was like what can I do? And he's like you need to talk to moms. I can't talk to mom's the same way you can. You have access that I don't. You need to talk to moms about this. They need to know they're on the front lines, they can protect their kids.
Greta Eskridge:
And that was the impetus for me to speak of my other passion, which is protecting kids In a digital world, and that happened because of our week at Forest home. So the impact of Christian camps and for us, specifically in our family of Forest home, it's tremendous. And this kind of goes back to what we're talking about is this time in nature is because in our world we're so busy and there are so many things to distract us to have that time that's dedicated to spend in God's creation, surrounded. You're looking at the mountains, you're in the trees, you are connected to God In the quiet. That doesn't happen much in our world anymore and it's very unique and it's so needed because that is where we meet him in special ways.
Greta Eskridge:
I truly believe it doesn't mean God can't speak to us in our bedroom or, you know, in the kitchen or watching dishes. Of course he can meet us anywhere, but there is a quiet and a connection. We know him and we see him in unique ways when we're in his creation.
Carole Joy Seid:
You just can't deny that that exists, you are such a kindred spirit, so I know that you're starting a podcast. Tell us about that and how people can follow you on those nasty screens we all own.
Greta Eskridge:
Yeah, my, my podcast is just starting. I mean, I gotta be honest right now, like I'm in the middle of launching a podcast and writing my third book and, wow, just my old, my second son is earning his Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts and it's just crazy around here. So if you see me online, it's a miracle, because I don't have much time to be there right now, but you would find me best on Instagram. That's where I am the most active and you can find my my brand new podcast, the Greta Eskridge podcast. It's on iTunes and Spotify and all the places where you look for listen to podcast and I have a really good podcast.
Greta Eskridge:
And I have a website, greta Eskridgecom, with a blog that I occasionally write articles for not as much as I should, but I'm writing a book. So, yeah, I don't have much extra space for writing, but, yeah, those are all the places where you can find me and the two books that I've written that are on Amazon and bookstores at your library. I'm plugged in a lot of places and you'll hear if you spend any time. Or in those places, you'll hear the things I'm passionate about, which it all boils down to connection, because I think we're all longing for connection, connection with with God, connection with each other, connection with creation. That's what we're longing for right now, and I want to help people find ways to do that.
Carole Joy Seid:
Well, would you close us in prayer for that very thing that is on your heart.
Greta Eskridge:
I'd love to Father God. Thank you so much for the opportunity you do provide us to connect with a lot of people over screens, and I pray that you would help us to use technology wisely. But I also pray that you would help us not to be too captivated by it and that instead we would get outside and put our feet in the grass and teach our kids to experience the wonder of you as a creator through your creation, the delight in clouds in the sky and a bug crawling across a leaf, and beautiful vistas from places like the Grand Canyon or just in the park across the street. I pray that you would help us to seek you out in the beauty of the world you made, and I thank you for the opportunity you've given Carol and I to talk to one another and to declare that we're now best friends. Thank you for the gift of friendship, even when it comes across the screen. We're so grateful, lord, amen.
Carole Joy Seid:
Amen. Oh, greta, this has just been a joy. I am being challenged and stimulated like okay, where are my hiking boots? Where's the backpack? Where's you? Know this, we need one another, we sharpen on another in these areas because we all believe this. But are we living like? We believe this? And I think it was Spurgeon who said look at a man's bank book and I'll tell you about it. And I like to look at a man's calendar. And these days are they blocking to be in God's vision? How many hikes have they taken? How many bike rides, how many fishing trips, how many you know mud puddles have they splashed in with their grandchildren? Whatever the age and stage of our lives, we always have to intentionally push each other into the world of creation.
Greta Eskridge:
Yeah, you're right, and it comes at a cost. It takes time. I've seen over and over again that it's worth it. It's hard and you're sacrificing something. You don't know how many things in my house need to be fixed up. It's a disaster, but it's okay. Like that is not the most important thing.
Carole Joy Seid:
That's right On your death bed. You're not gonna be like man. I'm gonna sort of reorganize that closet.
Greta Eskridge:
Yeah, exactly Exactly. You're not like oh the wish I would have painted that the whole way man.
Carole Joy Seid:
All about the people that you've invested in, that. You're gonna just be the heaven. That's what we're here for, and it's all gonna burn, as Chuck Smith always taught us. All gonna burn, but people are the only thing that are eternal. This has been a joy. Let's do this again soon. Okay, I'd love it. Great honey. God bless you, thank you.
Rachel Winchester:
You've been listening to the Home School Madesimple podcast with Carol Joy Side. If you enjoy this podcast, would you leave us a rating and review? Wherever you listen, your review helps other people know what to expect when finding the show and we so appreciate your help. Thanks for joining us this week on the Home School Madesimple podcast. I'm Rachel Winchester. Remember Jesus' commandments are not burdensome. What he calls you to do, he will enable you to do. Blessings.