kids at the crag. Yes or No

so the other day i was projecting a route when half way up, a group of kids and there parents showed up. i dont know about you but i tend to curse A LOT when i climb and i soon realized that the kids were commenting on my language and negative it was. personally i believe that the crag is an all are welcome environment,but at the same time you need to understand that shit happens. What do you think??

I agree with you Jared because nobody should ever be told they can't climb, I mean look at like all those 10 year olds who are climbing 5.14s. But kids may be a little young for what goes on between some people as it is sometimes not nescesarry and or appropriate

I don't think you needed to tone it down. It's a public place. Kids will be exposed to it eventually. It's up to the parents to educate and set a precedent.

I think it's everyone's area, and on that note you need to be somewhat respectful. Even adults don't want to hear sport climber tantrums where the only word coming out of your mouth is FUCK at the top of your lungs.

That's across the board.

On the same note, it's everyone's area, and parents need to understand that they are bringing their children into that possible environment where people are not obliged to watch their language all the time.

It's a give and take and everyone has to understand that. If a little foul language offends you then you probably need to get the stick out of your ass (and in reference to kids, learn how to parent), but if you think it's okay to throw tantrums and curse at the top of your lungs, you probably need to grow up.

Yeah, public place means everyone compromises. But a little self control goes a long way.

very much agree but there also the aspect of kids really being a distraction. i mean i get we were all little kids once but when anyone is climbing at their limit anything can throw you off your game, especially a chatty young lad haha

Ben Beckerich wrote: BS... if you can't climb through distraction, you can't climb. --- As the father of 5 young boys, who all cocked their heads and said, "what's that mean?" when I recently asked them if one of them just said "fuck," as has been mentioned- it goes both ways. Don't be a fucking gutter mouth, and you won't embarrass yourself. At the same time, who am I to tell someone what he can and can't say? If guys are behaving in a fashion that exceeds my threshold for my kids' ears, I guess we'll just move on to the next wall. If you're in my house, or at my campfire, or in my car, or on my jobsite for that matter, I'm going to politely ask you to STFU.

you dont curse (or really try not too) around children or women
you say thank you when someone says 'bless you' or holds the door open for you
you dont start eating your food until everyone you are with has been served theirs.
It's called manners, and its how you show respect for the people you are with and the people around you. Hows any of this even a question?

Ben you do bring up a good point but i would have to disagree with the distraction part. ive always found trad leading (or really any kind of climbing) to be more enjoyable when you reach that sensitive state. everything tends to flow easier on the rock.i agree distractions are going to happen but when your at the crux move and a little boy/girl is chatting it up with your belayer it can throw you off your game

JaredV wrote:Ben you do bring up a good point but i would have to disagree with the distraction part. ive always found trad leading (or really any kind of climbing) to be more enjoyable when you reach that sensitive state. everything tends to flow easier on the rock.i agree distractions are going to happen but when your at the crux move and a little boy/girl is chatting it up with your belayer it can throw you off your game

I think what Ben means is that if you can't zone out a few kids, then how are you supposed to zone out the fly buzzing your head, the wind blowing in your ears, or any of the other things that happen when you are "trad leading."

The whole point (and the hardest part) of climbing is focus. There are probably less than 100 climbers in the world who routinely push themselves cometely to their physical limit. The rest of us are just pushing ourselves to our mental limit. I agree with Ben when he says that if your mental limit is kids making noise, then you'll struggle to progress in something as mentally taxing as rock climbing.

No. I helps to no only swear, but swear like a schitzo homelsss person. Screaming 'dirty f@cking whore' wile kicking the rock at the usually clears the area.

You need to start yelling "Fudge!" and "Sugar!"

Melon farmer! Pus bucket!

As long as the dogs don't attack the kids.

H.. wrote: you dont curse (or really try not too) around children or women you say thank you when someone says 'bless you' or holds the door open for you you dont start eating your food until everyone you are with has been served theirs. It's called manners, and its how you show respect for the people you are with and the people around you. Hows any of this even a question?

Don't curse around children or women? What? I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd rather not be in the same category as a 9 year old. And it seems as though you have never been around women climbing at THEIR limit.

kids are great .... my crag dawgs get hungry and they always need a nibble ... nothing so healthy for a hungray dawg as the meat of tender kids

;)

Unlike dogs, kids have a right to be in public places. As a parent I can't stop you from embarrassing yourself so how you behave is up to you. However, there is a threshold where I can't escape your bad behavior quickly enough so I may address you directly. With that said I try not to bring my kids to places that are adult oriented. The climbing they do is always in areas where I don't normally find the type of behavior the OP described.

Most things that need to not happen for the safety of our society that can be outlawed already are. In fact, a whole lot of things that don't need to be outlawed are too.
I'm not one that thinks that "it takes a village." Nor do I expect other people to change their lives just because I happen to have decided to have kids or take them somewhere.
In short, if you are within the limits of the law, you are probably doing quite OK in my book.
If you cuss in front of my kid, I'll probably shrug. I expect her to know better about the same time she coherently understands the word.
If you throw a tantrum, I'll probably say scandalous things about your behavior in front of her so she knows that's "not OK."
If you were to go off on a rage on her for some weird reason, that's where the line would be crossed and you'd be dealing with the cops from that point.

So - kids at the crag? Well, try to be considerate of them and of the parents. But also expect that they are responsible for themselves and their lot, and you are a climber, not a role model. They shouldn't be pushing you around either.

I suppose I'd probably politely ask you not to be cleaning routes over kids heads or dropping ropes indiscriminately, but that's just courtesy that should be afforded any climber. Kids are just less capable, on the average, of 'defensive driving' to make up for it.

Sally G. wrote: Don't curse around children or women? What? I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd rather not be in the same category as a 9 year old. And it seems as though you have never been around women climbing at THEIR limit.

+ fucking 1.
H.., Don Draper called from the 60s, he wants his manners back.

I have a 7 year-old daughter who climbs, and I say curse all you want!

youtube.com/watch?v=mrgzgyC…

I'm not worried about how your pottymouth blowout impacts my kid. You might not come across as particularly erudite, but that's your choice.

"I think it's everyone's area, and on that note you need to be somewhat respectful."

I agree. I curse like a sailor yet teach second grade. Tone it down if the kids are around.

On a separate note, if the kids aren't climbing, get a fucking babysitter.

So just to be clear, you can curse all you want at the crag because it's a public place. However, the kid talking is a distraction while you are climbing at your limit. Yeah don't worry you didn't come off as a prima Donna at all.