The funny thing is that at her age, she doesn’t necessarily get the gender stereotypes when it comes to names.  In our case, she is trying to find female dog names that would work for her new puppy, but sometimes her suggestions miss the mark.  For example, I have had to tell her that “Brad” doesn’t work as a girl’s name, so we have had some good discussions about names.

I have been trying to steer her in the right direction, but I don’t want to come right out and give her a name for her dog.  I think that naming anything is an important process, and I want her to make the decision – not me.  I know that my wife and I really struggled to come up with the perfect name for our daughter, but with a little perseverance, we did make a great choice.

My wife wanted to take another route and have us come up with the name, but I really saw this as an opportunity for our daughter to make an important decision.  Sure, she is only six years old, but giving her some responsibility is a good choice.  I can really tell that she is taking her task seriously, and though it might take her a little longer, I think that in the end, she will really appreciate being the one with the duty to come up with a name.

We have decided not to rush her in her name choice, but we don’t want her to take too long either.  She has until the end of the week to come up with a name, and I am really looking forward to hearing what she chooses.  I just really hope it is something great – I don’t want our dog to be called “Muffy”.

You should always carry a canteen when hiking, as well as extra water bottles. Determine the amount of time you plan to be hiking and how much water you’ll need. Keep in mind that your body requires more fluid intake when exercising, and when exposed to heat, than it would if you were relaxing in a climate controlled environment.

Water isn’t the only element necessary to stay healthily hydrated. Our bodies also require electrolytes to properly use water. Electrolytes are types of salts our bodies usually have access to from our diets. They’re also found in sports drinks. Some outdoors shops may carry electrolyte chewing gum or “candies” especially for runners and hikers. You can also simply be sure to have a small number of salty snacks available throughout your day. While large amounts of salt aren’t helpful for staying hydrated, small amounts help our bodies use water intake efficiently.