Fatherhood anonymous; an open discussion on being a dad.

[californiagrown]

Exactly what happened. Emotions just ran extremely high.

See, im league commissioner material!!


kidding. I have no interest in doing anything other than being an assistant on my kids teams. I want nothing to do with dealing with the other parents and their playtime/moral issues.

[schuss]

Ha, a common prayer here in NH is "please don't let my kid like hockey" as it's your life for at least one parent during the season (many games are 2-3 hour drives and the nature of ice time means you're finding mornings and evenings 3+ days a week to stay in form). If my kid had wanted it, I would have sucked it up, but I didn't exactly pour everything into encouraging it.
My current struggle is that my kid is clearly a natural at one of my favorite hobbies (rock climbing) but has zero interest. C'est la vie.

[californiagrown]

My current struggle is that my kid is clearly a natural at one of my favorite hobbies (rock climbing) but has zero interest. C'est la vie.

My view, is that for activities/sports with a long life that you can do for decades after school ends, the goal is to get your kid knowledgable and proficient and let them figure out how far they want to take it. People change and something they are only moderately/not into as a kid, could one day be their passion. My goal is to make it easy for them to get back into those sports at 25yrs of age so they arent starting from square one.

What im saying is that if you teach your kid the basics of climbing now, dont be surprised when they randomly start getting really into it down the road as the hardest part of any sport is the initial learning/knowledge curve.

[riser4]

Dodged the puck with my kids. Although thing #1 apparently now regrets having not continued after doing the 5yo hockey whatever it was called. Our town is a big hockey town because John Leclair, Legion of Doom. A bunch of seasons of Mini Metro and AAU basketball and summer soccer for thing#3 definitely took a bite out of the fun budget.

[schuss]

My view, is that for activities/sports with a long life that you can do for decades after school ends, the goal is to get your kid knowledgable and proficient and let them figure out how far they want to take it. People change and something they are only moderately/not into as a kid, could one day be their passion. My goal is to make it easy for them to get back into those sports at 25yrs of age so they arent starting from square one.

What im saying is that if you teach your kid the basics of climbing now, dont be surprised when they randomly start getting really into it down the road as the hardest part of any sport is the initial learning/knowledge curve.

Oh, I know. He likes skiing and MTB already, so I'm already in good shape on shared interests. I personally want him to do it as it will help him dial in focus methods, but then again, he's 9 and he'll figure it out.

[subtle plague]

My current struggle is that my kid is clearly a natural at one of my favorite hobbies (rock climbing) but has zero interest. C'est la vie.

Remember they can only be happy if they live your dream!
I've told my wife we'd return the big girl if she didn't boulder 8A (V11?) By age 10

[BmillsSkier]

On a family ski trip this week and my son (who grew a whole bunch in the last year) somehow just turned into this completely different skier; hard-charging, wanting to ski bumps with Dad, annoyed at slow groomers with Mom (sorry Mom!), never stopping, and jumping off everything he could find. It was incredible and such a joy to just be present and witness.

Then one bluebird morning we're getting off the lift and he looks over and says, unprompted in every way possible, "Dad, I love skiing with you, and I LOVE skiing!"

I'd by lying if the lump in my throat didn't damn near prevent me from saying, "me too buddy, I couldn't be happier".

I've dreamt of having a son to ski with since the day I found out we were pregnant and that dream came 100% real this week, despite skiing with him the last several years (ski school, very controlled runs, etc.; nothing like letting him dictate his run). I was following him down a runout one sunny afternoon and I don't know if it was the combination of the location, the light, the time of year or what, but it took me immediately back to when I was his age when I was skiing with my Dad and I decided that this sport was about the greatest thing on earth.

My heart is full.

[Mazderati]

Awesome, B.

[Danno]

On a family ski trip this week and my son (who grew a whole bunch in the last year) somehow just turned into this completely different skier; hard-charging, wanting to ski bumps with Dad, annoyed at slow groomers with Mom (sorry Mom!), never stopping, and jumping off everything he could find. It was incredible and such a joy to just be present and witness.

Then one bluebird morning we're getting off the lift and he looks over and says, unprompted in every way possible, "Dad, I love skiing with you, and I LOVE skiing!"

I'd by lying if the lump in my throat didn't damn near prevent me from saying, "me too buddy, I couldn't be happier".

I've dreamt of having a son to ski with since the day I found out we were pregnant and that dream came 100% real this week, despite skiing with him the last several years (ski school, very controlled runs, etc.; nothing like letting him dictate his run). I was following him down a runout one sunny afternoon and I don't know if it was the combination of the location, the light, the time of year or what, but it took me immediately back to when I was his age when I was skiing with my Dad and I decided that this sport was about the greatest thing on earth.

My heart is full.

Bravo.

[SkiLyft]

Hell yeah, great job dad cultivating the love!


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[phatty]

Honestly there's nothing better than skiing with your kids when they are full of stoke. I've been going on a guys trip Whistler for 20 years. Most of the guys are 15+ years older than me and they would bring their older teens with them. I looked forward to when I could bring my boys. The trip got canceled a couple of times, but I was able to take my 3rd son (18yo HS senior) with me this year. Seeing his stoke hitting Spanky's Ladder, West Bowl and other classic WB runs was awesome. We had a great time and he's still smiling ear to ear.

It's awesome when they are young, but it just keeps getting better.

[BmillsSkier]

Thanks fellas, it was easily one of the best trips of my life.

Seeing him get stoked and progress fills me with pride for him. Him telling me he loves doing all that stuff that makes him happy with me is just another level of joy.

[Dromond]

We took our two year old to the hill to play in the snow and slide around in plastic skis while we held her up and glided her down a little hill. I wasn’t sure how she would react, but when we tried to go back to the car for lunch she yelled “More ski! More snow!” and didn’t want to stop. Her calling snow balls “baby snowmen” was an adorable highlight.She absolutely loved it and refused to nap until she got into the car to drive home at 4:30. Stoked!

[yeahman]

I remember the day I watched my oldest daughter skiing chutes at Big Sky from a distance and thinking to myself, damn, when did she learn to ski like that? It's a moment that takes you by surprise the first time you see them really turn the corner and start to rip.

[singlesline]

Suppose I should join this thread now.

Due end of July. Sort of a higher risk IVF pregnancy so we've been mostly keeping it quiet until the anatomy scan--did it Friday and everything looks good!

[yeahman]

Suppose I should join this thread now.

Due end of July. Sort of a higher risk IVF pregnancy so we've been mostly keeping it quiet until the anatomy scan--did it Friday and everything looks good!

Awesome news man!

[schuss]

That is so awesome bmills. My son doesn't accept much instruction from me, but I shared a lesson from Rick Greener at gordycamp: "there's no such thing as skiing too aggressively" and he actually thanked me for it at the end of the next ski day I had.
The kids are alright.

[schuss]

Oh and congrats singles!

[basinbeater]

Bmills, I love that. I got the same thing going on and it makes me so happy. My boy 11, just wants to go ski. He wants to go fast, and hit jumps and ski deep pow.
It's like he went through a phase this winter where every week he got better and better and better. All of of a sudden it was like, HE CAN SKI!
Here he is getting ready to drop down between a couple steep trees coming off the left side of the cirque at the bird...

[jackattack]

Suppose I should join this thread now.

Due end of July. Sort of a higher risk IVF pregnancy so we've been mostly keeping it quiet until the anatomy scan--did it Friday and everything looks good!

I understand the attempt to manage your expectations. Congratulations and good luck!

[skinipenem]

Suppose I should join this thread now.

Due end of July. Sort of a higher risk IVF pregnancy so we've been mostly keeping it quiet until the anatomy scan--did it Friday and everything looks good!

Congrats dude! Strap in for the ride of your life!

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[BmillsSkier]

Suppose I should join this thread now.

Due end of July. Sort of a higher risk IVF pregnancy so we've been mostly keeping it quiet until the anatomy scan--did it Friday and everything looks good!

Best thing that will ever happen to you. Congrats.

That is so awesome bmills. My son doesn't accept much instruction from me, but I shared a lesson from Rick Greener at gordycamp: "there's no such thing as skiing too aggressively" and he actually thanked me for it at the end of the next ski day I had.
The kids are alright.

That's a good pointer. I'm going to use that thanks. Yep, they apparently are alright.

Bmills, I love that. I got the same thing going on and it makes me so happy. My boy 11, just wants to go ski. He wants to go fast, and hit jumps and ski deep pow.
It's like he went through a phase this winter where every week he got better and better and better. All of of a sudden it was like, HE CAN SKI!
Here he is getting ready to drop down between a couple steep trees coming off the left side of the cirque at the bird...

That's incredible, congrats to both of you!

[Danno]

I'll add a caution to the "skiing with my kid" and "my kid turned into a ripper" thoughts. It is fantastic and I am happy for all y'all. And I am not posting to shit on that at all, just to add a caution. Because some of you might discover, as I have, that the "success" on that front might be short lived. My kiddo was a ski racer for 5 years, and she got good at skiing, obviously (though I wished they did more freeskiing in trees and moguls, because she could do those things but not super fast/confidently, even though she could kick my butt at gates).

Well, this year she stopped ski racing, too much time and money commitment for all of us (her, my ex, me). And then she kinda lost interest in skiing entirely, which cut really deep for me, and lost all confidence in what she could do. I took her one day a couple of months ago and she was a bratty teenager the whole day, and our last run was down a mildly bumped blue/black, and she acted like it was terrifying, while kids nowhere near as good as her zoomed by. It was miserable, and for me really hurt, and I wasn't prepared to deal with that.

I have since recovered, lol, and have since taken her skiing where she actually had fun, but she's nowhere near the level she was at last year, in skill, aggressiveness, and desire. I'm hopeful that it comes back but I also have to accept that every human marches to the beat of their own drum. I can't make her ski, or enjoy skiing, I just have to give her the opportunities (and try to set up skiing with friends opportunities) and hope she rediscovers her love.

[jackattack]

I'll add a caution to the "skiing with my kid" and "my kid turned into a ripper" thoughts. It is fantastic and I am happy for all y'all. And I am not posting to shit on that at all, just to add a caution. Because some of you might discover, as I have, that the "success" on that front might be short lived. My kiddo was a ski racer for 5 years, and she got good at skiing, obviously (though I wished they did more freeskiing in trees and moguls, because she could do those things but not super fast/confidently, even though she could kick my butt at gates).

Well, this year she stopped ski racing, too much time and money commitment for all of us (her, my ex, me). And then she kinda lost interest in skiing entirely, which cut really deep for me, and lost all confidence in what she could do. I took her one day a couple of months ago and she was a bratty teenager the whole day, and our last run was down a mildly bumped blue/black, and she acted like it was terrifying, while kids nowhere near as good as her zoomed by. It was miserable, and for me really hurt, and I wasn't prepared to deal with that.

I have since recovered, lol, and have since taken her skiing where she actually had fun, but she's nowhere near the level she was at last year, in skill, aggressiveness, and desire. I'm hopeful that it comes back but I also have to accept that every human marches to the beat of their own drum. I can't make her ski, or enjoy skiing, I just have to give her the opportunities (and try to set up skiing with friends opportunities) and hope she rediscovers her love.

Ski Racing : Freeride :: Road racing : Mtn Biking

I have observed a lot of former race kids turned adults who don't have the skills to approach a freeride line with confidence. They are beautiful capable skiers but they don't have the line selection experience to rip off-piste lines. IMO it will take time for her to develop a love for the sport beyond training and the race course. As a person who never skied gates, I don't have much interest in hitting the course, but I'm sure if I did I would suck.

[fatnslow]

I'll add a caution to the "skiing with my kid" and "my kid turned into a ripper" thoughts. It is fantastic and I am happy for all y'all. And I am not posting to shit on that at all, just to add a caution. Because some of you might discover, as I have, that the "success" on that front might be short lived. My kiddo was a ski racer for 5 years, and she got good at skiing, obviously (though I wished they did more freeskiing in trees and moguls, because she could do those things but not super fast/confidently, even though she could kick my butt at gates).

Well, this year she stopped ski racing, too much time and money commitment for all of us (her, my ex, me). And then she kinda lost interest in skiing entirely, which cut really deep for me, and lost all confidence in what she could do. I took her one day a couple of months ago and she was a bratty teenager the whole day, and our last run was down a mildly bumped blue/black, and she acted like it was terrifying, while kids nowhere near as good as her zoomed by. It was miserable, and for me really hurt, and I wasn't prepared to deal with that.

I have since recovered, lol, and have since taken her skiing where she actually had fun, but she's nowhere near the level she was at last year, in skill, aggressiveness, and desire. I'm hopeful that it comes back but I also have to accept that every human marches to the beat of their own drum. I can't make her ski, or enjoy skiing, I just have to give her the opportunities (and try to set up skiing with friends opportunities) and hope she rediscovers her love.

Parenting isn't about turning your kid into what you want them to be but helping them build skills to become what they want to be. None of my 3 are anywhere close to how dedicated I was as a skier at their age but they view it as something they enjoy and get to share with me. Add that to the fact they're really good people I'm winning pretty big. It took me a long time to figure that out as I sat countless powder days sitting in a gym or whatever before the light turned on.