Why we won't let our children be climbers

We have come to the decision to disallow our children from becoming rock climbers. It was a tough decision considering their drive and focus as well as my personal love for the sport but it has come apparent that rock climbing is not a suitable past time or activity for young ones.

Safety: Despite advances in helmet technology climbing remains an inherently dangerous sport. The risk of gruesome injuries and death has increased to a level that we don't feel comfortable exposing them to.

Culture: The amount of drugs, alcohol, and foul language at the crag has become unbearable (I swear of course but never in front of the children). PSA, vaping around your own children is the same as smoking around them.

Impact: We don't want to see them contributing to the environmental ills climbing is causing. There are much more sustainable ways to be active.

We may stick with gym climbing but feel that these issues are creeping indoors as well or the issues extend out from the gym. I am sure there are some positive environments outdoors for young climbers out there somewhere, can anyone tell us about them and how they came about?

my child is going to work at a indoor shrimp farm all day while I send. it generates passive income for me and keeps them from having to hear foul language at the crag

This one is a little too obvious. Gonna have to work on your trolling.

3/10

Jeremiah White wrote:

This one is a little too obvious. Gonna have to work on your trolling.

No troll. I wish it were honestly. Those of us with progeny have to continuously make important decisions about the guidance we've bestow upon our young ones. For contrast we also crossed football off the list, for obvious reasons. Even soccer is questionable nowadays with the recent studies on concussions.

The culture similarities, albeit on opposite sides of the spectrum, between climbing and football are quite alarming. While football is a more aggro masculine sport, climbing has the opposite bohemian negativity.

Do you have kids? What criteria do you use to evaluate their extracurricular activities?

Right. The holes in their heads aren't big enough yet to whistle in the wind while they climb. Without that, well, climbing just wouldn't be climbing.

Stick to your guns and they'll be climbing 13s at age ten. It will work 9 out of 10 times.

Most climbers don't want those little beasts. They are in direct conflict with climbing goals. Not to mention needy and they usually smell funky.  

I prefer my that kid becomes a D1 swimmer rather than a regular run of the mill 5.13/V12 climber.

You all should have your kids playing lacross. Seriously. 

I had mine, and the weekends I spent watching their games were more entertaining by a 100 fold than my best day of climbing. Plus, they can always climb. But there aren't too many competitive sports teams for adults, aside from the ones you can play while drinking beer

This thread works on a pretense that you have a say in what your kids become. 

You definitely hit on one of my frustrations with climbing outside.  I quit smoking pot for a myriad of reasons about a year and a half ago and it's tough with the amount of people (especially in and near CO) that are chiefing it up.  I can fully understand where that would be doubly worrisome for a parent.  I will admit I do drink at the crag though but it's generally no more than one lower alcohol percentage drink and usually after doing a MP while taking a breather.  Also trying to get better on the language part, especially around kids which I have been terrible about in the past.  I'm finding going out and climbing with mostly other Catholics helps with this a bit certainly but the general culture in climbing is kinda trashy.

Didn't know you had kids. Little Tradibans, running amuck.

Cute.

Jeremiah White wrote:

This one is a little too obvious. Gonna have to work on your trolling.

Was Socrates a Troll?

(I'll admit he does sort of look like a hairy troll but that's not the point)

leave the crags to the junkie monkeys. most kids would rather have a backcountry adventure.

JCS

I want my kid to be happly....I'm not going to rule out any activity...I'm looking for what interest them not nesecerally what 

Interest me

Follow your bliss

Safety : life is dangerous

Culture : teach the children about drugs....knowledge is there only hope

Impact : don't have kids

I agree with Tradiban.  Climbing is horrible for kids.  Basically a life threatening cesspool of drugs and poor behavior.  Get enough of that at work and school.   Sailing is the safe, clean, environmentally friendly alternative.  Switch now.

Ya gotta keep your kids away from the three temptations: Sex, Drugs, and Rock.

I haven’t encouraged my own kids to climb.

It’s frigging dangerous.

Especially at a young impressionable age.

Funny. I started when I was middle-aged, and my only thought was how much I would have liked having both gym and outside climbing when I was young. I look at the culture of the sport and my reaction is exactly the opposite. I expect you'll lead by example, and give up climbing? Because "do as I say, not as I do" isn't really a winning formula.

I know I’ve already asked you this but: 

Have your children considered adoption?

Tradiban in December 2019

”I think I've got a few future crushers on my hands and I'm thinking of pulling them out of the God-less public school to home school and give them more time for training. Has anyone switched to home school to pursue athletic pursuits? What kind of school to training ratios are you running?”