My aunt just had a baby boy the other day! being a close knit family, we will see each other very very often, and we will obviously get together a lot. My question:

A) Howcan I introduce my cousin to the outdoors and emergency-preparedness concept without 1) Frightening him away from it and 2) making him think that I am completely crazy <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />?

B) He is only a few days old. when should I start showing him the outdoor lifestyle?

I am one of the desinated babysitters (a roster has already been drawn up!). any tips on making a screaming infant shut up? I must admitt that I don't like young children very much (I can already picture some people gasping in disbelief as they read this!), but I am really excited about the near future!

bugs at 2, knives at 6, fire at 10 (years not months) Unless he is delayed in intelligence or maturity.

Screaming kids like to be moved rythmically and ear-plugs are a good idea (not for the kid - for you). Pick the kid up place their head on your shoulder (right next to your - now plugged ear) and walk around. Don't squeeze but lightly pat on the bottom until they throwup voluminously into your hair. Then they will giggle and fall asleep for ~10 minutes and wake up screeming again. At this point rythmic movement won't work a feeding will be in order. If you don't smell like mom the feeding won't happen. Try putting them in a chair, standing behind where the kid can't see you're not mom, making the bottle smell like mom by squeezing a bit out onto the nipple and placing it where the kid can get at it. If that doesn't work simply put the kid someplace safe where you can listen to the joyful squal and watch the wriggling worm whilst you wait for the mom to return. Make sure you can see and hear the kid at all times. Remember, for the first three months the kid will be making the emotional noise that the mom really feels. The kid is fine but the mom will be post-partum insane. Everytime the kid screams the mom will react. Every time the kid doesn't scream - the mom will react. Nothing you can do will be right.

Enjoy this special time it only last for a while!

When you want to introduce him to the outdoors, take him with you and make sure he has some fun and pay attention to the kid. Try to have answers to his questions.
The introduction to preparedness comes naturally when you lead by example (don´t overdo here). I became an uncle 5 years ago. When my niece was about one, she started to discover that her uncle was the one who could always fix her broken toys <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. Now she thinks it´s not exactly normal if a person doesn´t have the proper tools at hand<img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. When she´s old enough she´ll receive preparedness items for presents. I´ve aready got some but I didn´t dare to actually give them to her yet. She´s too young for some and others might wear out my welcome at my sisters home.
I can´t really give you advice on how to make little babies shut up. They always seemed to cooperate <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. As soon as they were on my arm they were quiet. Sometimes this even happened after the mother didn´t succeed and said the baby would never be quiet on a strangers arm.