Renting vs Buying an RV or Travel Trailer
We threw around a few ideas for the summer - one of which was a trip to Europe for an extended summer vacation. In the end, we decided to hold off on that until the kids are older and investigate more of the US before branching out with our 6 and 4 year olds. We had previously traveled with the … [Read More...]
Camping With Kids at Assateague
This past weekend was a first for our family. So. . . we took a non climbing camping trip! It was a weekend camping trip only a few hours from home and I am happy to say that the trip was a huge success. Assateague Island State Park Camping We drove 4 hours to the Maryland State Park on … [Read More...]
Spring is here, Earth Day is coming soon.
Let it Grow for Earth Day I'm hoping to do a few Pinterest projects this spring to help the kids understand about Earth Day, planting, and air (trees, carbon dioxide etc). Check out a few of the Earth Day and Spring projects I've pinned. First Day of Spring! Happy first day of spring! Between Rita's Water Ice … [Read More...]
Summer Camp Options for #Playoutdoors Kids
Summer Camps For Kids Sending your child to summer camp seems to be a right of passage that most parents go through at some point. Day camps and overnight camps are your first two choices to consider but there are a plethora of decisions that you have to wade through to get to the right camp for you (or your child). Day … [Read More...]
Out of Control Kids (Or Judgmental Spectators)
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I recently heard from a friend that our kids used to be known as the kids at the climbing gym that were going to get hurt.
I was shocked. I know that they run around a bit, but we teach them not to run on mats (only play on the bouldering mats where folks aren’t climbing) and stay away from anyone belaying/on rope. I admit, I had a few moments of “Oh, no – we are bad parents. We are those parents. We shouldn’t take our kids to the gym anymore.” I take pride in the fact that we primarily boulder when the kids are around. And that one of us is usually crawling on the floor playing monster with them while the other one climbs. We bring food and crayons, movies and electronic devices, we encourage them to climb, and we entertain. What else could we do?
Stay home? Not take our kids to the gym? Teach them to sit still and not move while we climb at the gym?
Then I remembered a Facebook post I saw the other day (left, from a friend of mine) I’m not sure that it applies 100% to this situation, but I believe that there are some similarities.
See original post and the mom replies.
What do you think? Do we have a problem? Or is the problem judgmental non parents, parents of non mobile children, parents with only one child, parents with children that happen to be a little more quiet and reserved than ours? I honestly am not sure that we can do anything differently. We do the best we can to teach them the rules of the road for climbing, and we watch them diligently to make sure that we prevent any non-listening moments.
Am I naive to think that those judging us just haven’t been there yet?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this one as I’m almost afraid to take them to the gym in fear of being seen as “those parents” who can’t (or won’t) control their children. My kids are now ages 4 and 5 – so active, but still young. . .
Here are my initial thoughts for alternatives and improvement. I’m not extremely excited about #2 or #5.
1. It’s a choice between playing (physically) or self entertaining. Should I encourage self entertainment as option 1 and option 2 to be climbing? If yes, then they shouldn’t be running in the gym at all. Is that realistic and/or should that be an expectation.
2. If I am ok with electronics in the gym, an ipad/ipod would settle them down. Is this the direction to go?
3. Food. Food. Food.
4. Climbing. They should climb. . . it is after all a climbing gym. If they don’t want to climb, see option 1 and 2.
5. Stop taking them to the gym for a while. Get a babysitter
What would you do? Which is the lesser of two evils? Out of control kids, couch potatoes?
Kids and ATVs
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As we talk about outdoor activities, kids, and safety, we often discuss the dangers of the outdoors, the wilderness, rockfall, and weather. While many of us are firm believers in preserving nature (and avoiding technology), I often note a significant overlap between the outdoor experience and such activities as snowmobiling, dirt biking, and four wheeling. While these are more man made than environmental, and while there are negatives (noise and air pollution), these little devices can yield oodles of fun for a pack full of kids.
Safety and protection are some of the most important questions that arise when considering four wheelers, atvs, and motorcycles for anyone younger than 14 or 15 years old. So what can you do to make riding safer? For us, we stick to things like emergency kill switches, mandatory helmets, and a governor to maximize speed at a comfortable level.
For more information about ATVs and kid safety check out this article with one perspective on when it is appropriate for kids to ride: Safety and Kids on ATVs.
