Lucy's Story

This story highlights part of OutGrown’s journey, told through the voice of Jessica Carrillo Alatorre, one of our early leaders. While she has since moved on, her reflections continue to reflect the values that shaped our community. OutGrown Executive Director Jessica Carillo Alatorre has been a part of Hike it Baby since 2014 where she met Shanti Hodges, the founder of Hike it Baby on her first hike. She is inspired by the passion and commitment of the volunteers who drive OutGrown along with the mission that has created the kind of community she wants her girls to be a part of. She is committed to building a future where the outdoors is a safe, accessible space for all families to enjoy, regardless of their race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, orientation, or religion. Jessica is proud to be raising a generation to love the outdoors.    When I became a parent, I had recently moved to Portland and didn’t know many people. Of the few people I did know, none had kids. My partner and I had left a very close knit group of friends in the Bay area and I was unsure about how I was going to get through this transition into parenthood without close friends or a sense of community. I knew I wanted to be an active parent, going to the library, walking to the park, and generally exploring and enjoying the place where we lived with my baby. I even convinced my partner we should get a dog so that I would have someone to walk with the baby and me while my partner worked. PS - don’t try having a new puppy and your first baby at the same time, it’s not a great mix! I tried to join a few meetup groups, but was told I couldn’t join until I had my baby. I tried some prenatal yoga and swim classes, but found it challenging to make connections. It seemed like the only option I had was joining my new moms group hosted by the hospital once I gave birth. I did that and met some nice women. One of them shared about a group called Hike it Baby that was for parents who wanted to get outside with their babies. I joined the group’s Facebook page and watched it from afar for a bit before I worked up the courage to go out. I finally joined a real life event when they posted a new parents hike, making it feel more approachable for my healing postpartum body and inexperience with my baby carrier. Boy, do they make those things complicated, especially when you factor in the sleep deprivation of new parenthood!  On the hike, we were greeted by several nice people, we stopped together for a rest, and we sat around in the nature center after, chatting and connecting more while we nursed our babies and had some snacks. It was very informal, but it suited me to be able to warm up and connect without the formality of specific discussion themes or baby care focus I found at my new moms group. As I joined more events, I began to see familiar faces and form connections with people. Through those opportunities, I was able to form new friendships. I started to exchange contact information and get more outgoing in my attempts to be social. I also built confidence in getting out with my daughter. Instead of bringing the whole diaper bag with me, I learned I could leave a stocked diaper bag in the car and just bring some water, wipes, a diaper, and a snack for the actual hike. I learned which carrier I liked best and how to get it on myself with my baby in it safely. It was a huge game changer when I learned how to nurse my daughter while she was in the carrier. I didn’t have to feed her in the car before or after outings or errands, I could do it while walking and shopping. It was SO liberating!   Today, the women who I connected with on those first hikes are still my closest friends nearly 9 years later. We don’t need the excuse of an organized event to get us together. We just reach out and invite each other to mom dates, play dates, birthday parties, camp trips, and more. We have a solid community that we can rely on if we need help. We can count on each other to watch over the kids as they roam in more independent play groups at gatherings, trusting that we all know each other and will keep our collective brood in good care. Finding this kind of positive community and support as a parent has been integral in my own personal development, mental and physical wellness, and general self confidence. Being able to spend time outside with my baby has also been integral. The habits and lessons learned from spending time outside and making friends that encourage more of the same have drastically impacted both myself and my children in a number of physical, behavioral, and spiritual ways. My elder daughter hiked 9 miles on her own two feet at 7 years old like it was just something we do. My younger daughter has always been the family motivator, asking from a very young age for regular “hikeababies” (walks outside). It has also connected us all more deeply to the care and importance of the land, plants, and animals around us and the planet we all share. Both my children are avid defenders of the natural world, pointing out harm and encouraging those around them to make better choices to help protect our planet. Outside time is how we find peace as a family, calming tempers, distracting us from annoyances and worries, and releasing pent up energy.  I want to give those kinds of experiences to every new parent and child who comes into this world.  As I have navigated through the challenges of motherhood, I have often wondered what it would be like for my family without the experiences and opportunities I have had thanks to my Hike it Baby community. I think both my life and my children would be very different and likely not for the better. We live in a world where the impact of social support, holistic wellness, and the importance of time outside for our positive human development is not given enough recognition or priority. More and more people are spending more and more of their time inside, in front of screens and away from the natural world we are a part of. There are significant disparities among who feels comfortable, equipped, and like they belong in the outdoors. These disparities are often similarly reflected across the social determinants of health, across health outcomes for mothers and children, and across other key factors that indicate if we are thriving as individuals. As a community of people, we are becoming more divided and polarized. We see an increase in violence and extremism. We see more impacts from our behavior on our climate, bringing in more extreme weather and an alarming increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters that destroy our homes and lives. The more we disconnect from our planet and the people around us, the more harm we experience. Without those connections to each other and to nature, our future generations are at a significant risk both individually and collectively.  We can have positive, long lasting  impacts across all of these areas with just a few small shifts. What starts as tiny baby steps become leaps and bounds of positive difference as a family grows and children mature.    From the seeds of Hike it Baby, we are expanding on what we’ve learned, letting it root deeply into our community led approach and establishing what we have identified as three core programs necessary for a strong trunk of success in supporting families in getting outside. Hike it Baby will continue to offer a community led approach to outdoor activities and events. Doing so allows individual families to host the type of outings and events that work for them while inviting others in their community to join them, which is a key element in building a community that gets outside together. Bring it Outside will work to address the barriers marginalized families face in getting outside, providing gear, workshops, and a multi-lingual, culturally relevant approach to offer more holistic and targeted support for those who don’t feel welcome, safe, prepared, or otherwise like they belong outside with their families. We believe lowering barriers for those who face the most challenges lowers barriers for all of us, helping to build toward a future where everyone sees themselves as able, confident, and excited to get outside in whatever ways they enjoy most. Turn the Blues Green introduces nature to new parents as soon as they have their babies. Resources and activities will be offered that demonstrate the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside for both the parent and the infant, inviting and encouraging parents to step outside as soon as a baby is born to help reduce the impacts of postpartum depression, the baby blues, and the increased stress, anxiety, and fear that all parents struggle with as they navigate this new transition. We believe that inviting families to play outside together is a powerful way to build community and foster a life-long love of nature. We believe that every child deserves to grow up outside, to be OutGrown. We hope you will join us and help us continue to bring it outside! ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit building a world where families with babies and young children can grow up connected to nature and to each other. We focus on the earliest years of life, providing families with the support, community, and resources they need to feel welcome, included, and confident outdoors. Through volunteer-led communities, nature-based programs, and family-centered tools, we help remove barriers and expand access to outdoor connection. Since our grassroots start in 2013, OutGrown has reached more than 300,000 families nationwide, supported by a vibrant network of over 300 volunteer leaders. Learn more at WeAreOutGrown.org EDITOR’S NOTE Thanks for spending time with this piece. At OutGrown, we create content rooted in real life, built to support families, reflect lived experiences, and celebrate the small, meaningful ways we connect with nature. Every article, guide, and reflection is part of our mission to make the outdoors feel possible, welcoming, and worth showing up for. If this resource helped you feel more confident, seen, or inspired, we invite you to support our work. We are a small team building something lasting. Your contribution helps us reach more families and keep this work going strong. Donate or learn more at WeAreOutGrown.org  

On October 9, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, recognizing the Native Americans as the first inhabitants of the land we live on here in North America.  Not sure how to introduce the topic to your kiddos? OutGrown Bookclub has got you covered! With suggestions from Board Books to nonfiction for teens, we have titles for all ages.       Board Books (Age 6 months- 4 years old) Books specifically geared towards the celebration of this day are limited for our littlest readers, so we have also included some titles from Native American authors that introduce our readers to their culture: We All Count: A Book of Cree Numbers by Julie Flett  Tribe: Cree-Metis Count along with Cree numbers!  An introduction to Cree culture with beautiful illustrations, “We All Count” is sure to be a favorite for even the littlest readers in your family.     Good Morning, World by Paul Windsor Tribe: Haisla and Heiltsuk (First Nations, Canada) Good Morning World features vibrant Native American art, and is engaging as it helps children appreciate what Mother Nature provides.  It is also a wonderful book full of pictures for even non-reading kiddos to look through over and over again.   Picture Books (Ages 4-8) All Around Us by Xelena Gonzalez Tribe: Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation This award-winning book celebrates community and relationships within families and nature.  It’s an engaging and beautiful picture book telling the story of a Latinx family that readers of all ages can appreciate.   Indigenous Peoples' Day by Dr. Katrina Phillips Tribe: Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe All about the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, this book shares the history of the holiday in easy to understand terms, as well as Native American traditions.  It is a wonderful introduction to Native American culture and even touches on the concept of land acknowledgement.   The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz  Tribe: Acoma Pueblo This story is written to be read aloud in the rhythm of traditional oral narrative and shares the history of land being taken from the Indigenous Peoples throughout North America.  It is written from the Native American perspective and offers a powerful summary of what Native American tribes suffered when losing their lands, in a way that children can understand. Middle Grades (Ages 8 - 12) Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis (Tribe: Umpqua/Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde) and Traci Sorell (Tribe: Cherokee) This multi-award winning read shares the heartbreaking story of a family relocated from the reserve they have known their whole life, to Los Angeles, during the Civil Rights Era. The family faces relentless racism, as they struggle to find their place in a world they have been forced into by the government.     Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition by Anton Treuer  (Tribe: Ojibwe) This Q&A style book answers all of the questions that young readers may have about Native Americans in an easy-to-read and understand format.  Tackling basic questions and even the tough stuff like racism and politics, this is a must-read for your middle schoolers that might have questions about Native Americans and their culture but do not know how to ask them!  Teen (Ages 13+) An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Debbie Reese (Tribe: Nambé Owingeh) and Jean Mendoza (Adapted from An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States By: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz) This book has been adapted for teens and young adult readers, but you may find yourself picking it up too! It is written by an Indigenous human rights advocate, who does not sugarcoat the history that many teens have yet to hear in school.  It speaks to the resistance efforts and resilience of the Native American tribes and will help all readers reflect on the history that we are all a part of.   Share with us your favorite books to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day!   ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 as Hike it Baby, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteers. You can find additional information on all of our programs at WeAreOutGrown.org EDITOR’S NOTE: We're thrilled that you are reading this article from OutGrown. Our team is dedicated to bringing you valuable content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain. However, creating quality content comes with its costs. It's the result of the dedication and hard work of our writers, editors, and volunteers who truly believe in the mission of connecting families with young children to nature and fostering community. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the support of our amazing community. If you are in a position to help, we kindly ask for your contribution to help us expand our reach and continue providing valuable content for everyone. No matter the amount, every contribution counts and allows us to keep growing and making a difference together.