My Son Kayaking Near the Waterfall
I've always heard that the teen years were really tough ones for parents (and for many teens too). I have not found that to be the case. My boys are great, and I'd rather spend time with them than anything else I can think of to do.
Sometimes other parents ask me, "What's your secret?"
I wouldn't begin to take credit for my boys being fine young men. They could make other decisions. They don't. I am blessed.
If I had to make a suggestion, I'd say that it's important to spend time with kids and also to make sure that you support their interests. Bored kids are going to be more likely to get into stuff.
When the boys were little I made sure they had all kinds of experiences. We went to libraries, shows, programs and even to watch a dance recital of the Wizard of Oz featuring some of the little girls from their classes. I wasn't looking to influence their interests. I just wanted them to have a chance to see what all is out there and make their own decisions about what they might like to get involved in.
My youngest especially loves water sports. He was probably about three years old when we took our first canoe ride. Over the years we have gone white water rafting several times. He took to all that like (cliche) - a duck to water.
After saving up his money, the kid bought a kayak. He did the research and found a used one on Craig's List.
He went up to the Bull Hole (a small local park) to kayak, but he missed having others around to enjoy the trips. So, he went back online and found HRL Paddlers. That's a local (or pretty close) kayak group. It's mostly adults - but also a few kids and teens. He got in touch and set up a trip.
Yesterday he took his second trip with the group.
My son really looks forward to the kayak trips and keeps checking back to see if the photos from his trips are ready, so he can show them to me. We check them out and talk about his travels.
If you have kids, try to give them lots of opportunities to check out fun things to do. Some things they will not get excited about. My youngest son would never want to get in front of a group and dance or act.
Now and then, a kid will find his or her passion. My son really gets excited about the water. I never knew that would be something he'd love back when we took the first canoe trip. In fact, he was kind of scared of the water during his preschool years. Now, he's like a fish. He loves to swim and will ride any watercraft he can get his hands on.
The kayak club has been great for my son. He gets to do something he loves and gets to do it with others who enjoy the same passion.
*I'd like to thank Neal and other members of the groups for making and sharing photos.
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