Climbing to the Top
Children are naturally curious and they love to explore the world around them; it’s their job. They also are natural climbers. Tell any kid that it is okay to climb a rock and I guarantee they can find a way up it.
My kids have no fear. I have always been careful not to discourage them from trying something new. I also cringe at the parents at the playground who are so nervous and scream at their children to stop climbing on the jungle gym or to stop swinging so high. Don’t get me wrong, children need to be safe and need to know their limits but if we don’t allow them to explore and learn from mistakes they are bound to follow a boring existence of working in an office cubicle.
This past summer I took my family on a camping trip to Vedauwoo Wyoming. Vedauwoo is filled with amazing rock formations and is a climbers mecca. We camped with 3 families and 8 kids all under the age of 7. Our campsite was right up against some awesome bouldering spots.
I kept sneaking away from the others with my daughter and one other kid. (I didn’t want to be responsible for too many kids at a time) On the first trip up, the kids were frightened but loved it. They wanted to climb all the way to the top but they didn’t yet have the skills necessary.
I let them pick the route. Sometimes it was way too difficult and I would say something like, “should we look for another way”. They quickly learned that if one route was too difficult they may be able to find an easier way if they just look around.
I helped them work on their technique and confidence by helping them find foot and hand holds. It absolutely amazed me how quickly they improved. On the second day they were climbing routes that they wouldn’t have even considered on the first day. The final morning as I was packing the car to head home, the girls begged me to take them up one more time. Again they were doing even more difficult routes and they didn’t show the fear of the previous days.
I was so proud of my daughter. She was so ready to learn new things, have new experiences, and improve her skills so she could get higher. With nothing but a little encouragement, guidance, and direction she was climbing to new heights and never looked back. Most adults could learn a valuable lesson from these kids.