There ain't no bugs on me...

Many great minds are arguing that kids these days don't get enough unstructured outdoor playtime. Kids are supposed to be out climbing trees and eating wild berries, but somewhere along the line parents' fears have taken over. Instead, we're all cooped up inside, completely disconnected from where our food comes from and why it matters to keep habitats intact.
We need to give kids more opportunity to do their own thing and get bitten along the way. However, I'm not saying you shouldn't help them identify poison ivy when given the chance.

Encourage your kids to be adventurous, like these kids terrorizing exploring the wildlife of the the great outdoors.

Pry your kids away from the screens and eschew fears of poison plants and vicious plague-spreading insects.

Just look how much fun Hudson is having frolicking in the grass.


Oh wait, what's that behind his ear, you ask? Let's take a closer look.

Hmm, appears to be a bug...

%$@!*&^
Oh yes, that, my friends is an Ixodes scapularis, more commonly known as a tick. Right there on my baby's head.

Funny thing is, I didn't notice until the thing had attached itself to his cheek. A pause for flashbacks to an outdoor ecology lesson that had me fighting ticks like Mike Tyson and we were outta there. Being a camp counselor gave me the experience necessary to remove said tick without a panic. Many thanks, Wildwood.

Good news is Hudson wasn't bothered a bit, and it appears Lyme disease hasn't set in--as it is pretty unlikely to do. Many more outdoor play sessions and terrorizing of wildlife ahead, just maybe with some natural bug repellent.