Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
Get them outside to play! I’ve got some interesting parenting info today on Ranch Raised.
A friend shared an alarming statistic regarding children’s play outdoors. I was shocked, so I decided to track down the source and learn more. According to the Child Mind Institute the average American child is in front of a screen 5-8 hours a day and is only outside engaging in unstructured play 4-7 minutes a day.
Maybe it is because of our ranching way of life but this seems incomprehensible to me that kids are spending that little time outdoors and that much time in front of screens. How is this happening?
I refuse to reinforce this societal trend at home. Actually, it is second nature, pun totally intended, for my family to be outside and it can be for your family too! During this Christmas break, go sledding, go on a walk, yes, I know there might be snow on the sidewalk. Build a snowman. Have a snowball fight. Go to the park. Pick up some snow shovels and go around and shovel sidewalks and driveways.
There is actually a lot to see outside during the winter weeks. Like birds foraging. Mother nature really paints some spectacular pictures. Give your kids a list of 5 outdoor winter wonders to go find and take pictures of!
I’ve got more to say on the power of outdoor play. So come back tomorrow and let’s continue the conversation!
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her former role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the Jones Ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
[email protected] or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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