Kids and Climbing

So i got to thinking and i'm willing to bet i'm not the only one here with kid(s). I also know that climbers, in general, like to share their enthusiasm with their children. So I'm wondering what ages have you all started introducing your kids to climbing? My wife and i took our 2yr old up to the gym a couple weekends back; it was her first climbing experience (furniture, curtains, dirt/rock piles and appliances excluded).

She was anything but interested in the actual climbing. She loved swinging in the harness and running amok through the gym but i'm thinking this is fairly normal for a 2yr old. We did also notice that she was, by far, the youngest one there. The furthest we could get her to go up the wall was about 2 moves but that wall that she finally did try wasn't the best - the holds could have been better.

She'll be three in august so we're thinking about giving her about another 4-6 months and trying again. I don't want to force it on her and spoil the thought of it in her little head. Also, any tips any parents might have for introducing climbing to pre-k kids would be great.

I started my daughter when she was 3. She is 7 now and is quite good.
My little boy just turned 2. I got him a harness and helmet for his birthday. We have been out a few times since and he really likes it. He does tend to stop climbing early and just start swinging, but at least he is getting used to being tied in.

Encourage the swinging. Climb a few feet up have them bounce out from the wall. Make a game out of it. Stand back and see if they can bounce out and touch you and then stand farther back. This gets them comfortable with the equiptment, builds their trust, and removes the fear of falling.

Make sure they know how to lower correctly and feel very comfortable with it. The bouncing practice I mentioned above helps with this.
Put a bell or something at the top or some high point. If they can touch it then buy them ice cream.

Keep it short. Don't plan all day activities around climbing. Make it a small part of a larger outdoor activity. An hour or so is about all they can take. Make sure you quit while they are still excited.

Bring their friends along. They like to show off and the peer pressure will make them more willing to push themselves.

Forget about having fun "yourself". You have to be there only for them. Otherwise you start to get impatient and upset if they are moving slowly and going into your time.

Buying them their own gear works to a point, but I don't think it is essential. (Of course make sure you have gear that fits their bodies!)

Go outdoors. This is a bit more work, but there are "schoolroom" places by the road side in every area. Just find one that is close to a car or camp place. Set up a top rope and bring the kids over for an hour. Make a big game out of it by putting toys or candy on the route for them to find as they climb. Put a crown on the top for them to put on when they get there.

Don't push them. If they get scared and you push them they will have a barrier with doing it again.

My experience has been fairly good. I think three is a bit early. I would just take them to the rock and let them scamper at that age. At five I would put a harness on them and start doing the stuff I mentioned above.

Climbing with your family is really rewarding, but requires a lot of work and self sacrifice. Make sure you have that attitude when you go into it and it will pay off big time with the memories you carry away.

I started my youngest off at 4 years old, she has a good time with it. Keep in mind kids really don't have much strength in their hands in the early years, so they will not climb much before getting worn out.

Kids are great on outings. I have had great times when climbing or just going to the park. My biggest thing is to just go for it and know that you are not going to send your project this time but that is not what a family adventure is about.

Lee has great insight. Thanks for sharing.

My son is almost 6, and he has never known life without climbing. As an infant, he would sit in his carseat (we had the one that popped out and became a carrier) and watch mommy and daddy climb, both indoors and out, depending on the season. As he got bigger, we put him in a backpack and began taking longer hikes to the climbs.

Because it is so common to him, my son takes little interest in climbing. He likes to wear his gear, but mosty just likes to monkey around on the rope. He loves to place trad gear, so a couple'a nuts and hexes can often be his entertainment for the day!

Lee Jensen wrote: I think three is a bit early.

I think that it totally depends on the child. I wish that I would have started my daughter earlier than three. She took to it like a fish in the water.

I just can't resist doing this again......

They really make great crash pads

Id agree- keep it short and make sure they have fun. When my son was 2 we did a climb up a 5.2 slab with him tied in 5' from the end and me tied in to the end and we climbed together while my wife belayed. It was a lot of fun and he really liked climbing w/dad but that was all he wanted to do that day so we did a few climbs ourselves and called it a day.

Going with other folks w/kids is super fun and the kids all motivate each other and have tons of fun playing while the adults get a turn.

One thing we learned is that you really need to be mindful of the fact kids just don't cool dawn as easily as adults and hot weather makes them cranky fast. Climb early and/or late and go find a stream to play in for the middle part of the day and maybe a nap in a jogger too!

Sometimes we go climbing just for us and the kids play. We bring s few toys and take big breaks to play and ensure we have some "outdoor treats" to make it special.

We usually just climb as a family which is fun for us and have developed a new climbing term, the "kid point" which is defined as having to clip in to gear while leading so the belayer can take care of a kid issue such as a rock both want to sit on and be left alone on. Did I mention patience and a good sense of humor?

Regardless of the circumstances I think it is most important to keep it positive and have fun if you want to share the experience long term which I think you can, even if your kid decides they don't really care for climbing.

Mike, please tell us that's a doll in that picture of the dude soloing in his boxer shorts...

Nope, real baby.
In all fairness Kateri, this dates back to climbingboulder.com and after being called out this gentleman posted that all he did was step off the trail long enough for his wife to shoot the picture.

mountainproject.com/v/color…

Still, I like the "is he really doing that?" effect.

Daryl,
I have found that if we are outdoors and in the appropriate setting, the kids do better if I am at the top of the climb, belaying from the top rope anchor to bring them up. They seem to have less separation anxiety climbing up to me, rather than up and away from me and from the safety of the ground. I have seen all sorts of responses at different ages and even from the same kid over time. Relax, it will happen and the way they climb at two years probably has little predictive value as to how they will climb at ten, unless they get scared or hurt. Which reminds me, I was glad to see she had the appropriate head protection and a full/chest harness. Kids are top heavy and can spin or invert suddenly. I have seen a friend's child spin and smack her head just inches off the ground. Even seemingly minor strikes in kids can result in measurable changes. Cover those things and make it fun.
Best luck,
Mike

Mike,
AWSOME pic man!! We should get the young'uns together so we can..er..um...THEY can hang out and climb..er..Play sometime.

Absolutely Ryan
We have a rock with 5 routes .8 and under that is perfect for the kids, plus there's a lot of corridors and aspen groves for them to explore/chase

Many thanks, everyone, for the great advice. Lots of real good ideas i hadn't thought of. I would certainly agree that every child is different and while some may take immediately to it at 4 or 5, some may never like it. When i worked at a gym in Buffalo, there was this 9yr old girl that would just fly on lead up the wall and across the ceiling. She had been at it for years and i guess that's the image i've had in my head for my 2yr old for the last couple years.

After this trip to the gym with her and the responses here, i'm thinking i should rethink my approach. Instead of convincing myself she's the next Lynn Hill, i need to just let it happen, don't push it, etc. She excels at everything else either with time or immediately so i'll back off and see what happens. If there's anyone else in the Tucson/SV area that has kids and takes them climbing, i would love to tag along with her maybe next spring to let her see some other kids climb.

There is nothing quite like being out on the rock with your kids, it is the best. I have two, ages 15 and 13 now, they started around age 4. Both did their respective first multi-pitch climbs at age 5 on the Thumb in Estes Park where we lived.

They both showed some interest in climbing over the next few years, but I never forced any outings upon them. Whenever it was appropriate I asked them to join me and their skills have progressed over the past few years, but they were never really into it the obsessive way I was/am:)

That has changed somewhat just this last spring. Both my son and daughter have shown a great deal more interest recently. In late May we were in Boulder and took some time to do a route on the First Flatiron, that was a special day for me as a father, one I will always remember.

My son has jumped headlong into things the last few months and is now leading sport 11's and some trad 8's and 9's. Your kids leading is a different ballgame, I find myself always saying "is that piece good?" or "you need to find some gear now".

Spend time with them, that is key, they crave and need that as they grow up. You will never regret spending time with your kids, no matter the activity.

I once heard someone speaking about parenting/raising kids and he said there are so many different "stories" out there for kids to latch onto it is our job as parents to give them the best "story". Time with our kids is the foundation to that best story.

Awesome post Lynn. I agree that time with your kids is priority over all things. I spent a couple hours at the aquatic center with our daughter yesterday and i'm always amazed to see how many parents take their kids somewhere like that just to get them out of their hair for a while. The person they will become is such a direct product of the efforts and values we instill in them early on.

We haven't had any television service since she was born due to all the garbage on tv. We have netflix and get a constant supply of good tv. She's a huge Thundercats fan and requests the Smurfs, Scooby Doo, Johnny Quest, Gummie Bears and many others all the time. I've been looking for GI Joe and some others with little luck. She also loves all the old movies like Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, etc.

So how did you build them up for that multi as Estes Park? Did you do ground drills and mock anchor exchanges and so forth? That's so awesome that you have them climbing that early!

d

In an effort to micromanage all that was going on, I had a friend go along, had him lead and I was at the end of the rope with both kids tied in above me. That way I could help them if need be, the climbing was super easy, low 5th class. They did really well, we would get to an anchor, get clipped in and off for the next pitch. They were along for the ride.

Now it is less complicated as they are older. At this point, my son and I swap leads, with my daughter in tow. As I think back, the key was keeping it easy so they got comfortable moving on the rock. No need to rush things, you want them to have fun.

My goal was/is that they have the opportunity to have fun and be safe, so the grades do not really matter.

Big belay ledges are nice for multi-pitch outings:)

Getting out with your kids is awesome - especially when they get older - get them into climbing and you have a decent chance of still having them do stuff with you when they are (cue skeery music) TEENAGERS!

I didn't get into climbing until a couple years ago but my kids got into it with me (14 and 16 now). One of the best things we've done as a family - for sure! The confidence and trust it fosters in each other is great for the mental health of the family group - plus it's FUN.

I think climbing is something you do once and it touches something deep inside you. If it doesn't then you'll never really be interested in it. I think it's the same way with kids. Although I didn't find true rock climbing until I was an adult, when I look back on it, I can see the signs. As a kid, I couldn't resist climbing anything and everything. Jungle gyms, trees, basketball poles. I even had bouldering routes (didn't know that's what you called them then) I climbed on my house. I'd climb onto the fence, then traverse the roof, then swing up to the chimney, etc.

Now, I introduced my daughter to climbing at 6. Fearless, but she couldn't have cared less, although she did enjoy the encouragement and admiration of onlookers. Tried it again at 8 - she was terrified. I got her up on a few easy routes as a teenager, but it was always a mix of fear and frustration. In short, she's not a climber, and she's never going to be one.

I think if they are a climber, you'll know it right away.

My kids got into climbing by accident. My daughter was 7 and had suffered a ruptured eardrum and could not swim. She was never really a team sports kind of kid and I try to keep her active so I remembered they had a rock wall at the rec center. She got all the way up on her first day and has been hooked since. Her brother was 5 and we had to wait for two years till they would let him climb and he just took off. She climbs 5.10+ and he climbs 5.11- inside. We are buying quickdraws and will be going outside with some experienced climbers soon. BTW I don't climb but take the kids all over creation to climb.