I'm SO glad to see other RiverMommas out there!!!
Our son (John) has been on the river since he was 4 months old. We had a hard time finding good "little" gear and wanted him to be safe AND comfortable. We finally found a great life-jacket for him. It was hard because when their so little, they don't have much of a neck - LOL!
So far so good. John is 16 months and had more river miles than most of my adult friends! We joke that he'll be a guide before he's 3 . . . He LOVES anything to do with water. He yells "boat" when ever he sees anything kayak-shaped on roof-racks... What else would you bother to tie-down to your car??? He might be a little obsessed with water and so we've enrolled him in swimming lessons. John's working on jumping in and swimming to the surface with out a PFD in our local pool.
As long as safety is your first concern - that you should not have to "give up" your river life-style. My husband and I take turns rowing. My husband is the expert on the sticks and will row any new rivers or anything over class II if the baby's on board... SELECTIVE ClassIII is our limit until he can swim WELL.
Some of our favorite family runs...
*Gunnison Almont to Whitewater Park - to McCabe's in low water, the Park's too much in high water
*Lower Taylor - in Low water (around 600 cfs) John's fave - splish splash!!!
*San Juan - early/late season because of temps, not flows
*Colorado - Glenwood Town Run
*Colorado - Ruby / Horse-thief Canyons
Anybody else have good family runs?? Has Anyone done the Green w/kids?
He might be a little obsessed with water and so we've enrolled him in swimming lessons. John's working on jumping in and swimming to the surface with out a PFD in our local pool.
Just FYI, at that age any swimming lessons will only teach water familarity, NOT swimming skills. Children that young may be able to mimic swimming skills, but they lack the ability to reason when they need to use them if they fall into the water.
In my 19 years of aquatics experience (teaching swim lessons to managing two pools and a lakefront), the youngest child I have ever seen been able to demonstrate "swimming skills" is 2 and a half.
My advice, is start simple w/ the PFD and kicking. If you're gonna be on the rivers, then he'll be in that all the time anyway. Save the "swimming" until he's a bit older.
Just FYI, at that age any swimming lessons will only teach water familarity, NOT swimming skills. Children that young may be able to mimic swimming skills, but they lack the ability to reason when they need to use them if they fall into the water.
In my 19 years of aquatics experience (teaching swim lessons to managing two pools and a lakefront), the youngest child I have ever seen been able to demonstrate "swimming skills" is 2 and a half.
My advice, is start simple w/ the PFD and kicking. If you're gonna be on the rivers, then he'll be in that all the time anyway. Save the "swimming" until he's a bit older.
Kendi
Kendi,
I feel that I need to explain myself because of your response and how strongly I feel about water-safety...
When I wrote this I was speaking of water familarity in that we are hoping that his being in the warm pool will discourage fear of having water in his face - ie if we get splashed in the boat. And "swiming lessons" were a week of Parnet-Tot Classes.
I do not expect him to swim until he is about 3, nor take a more advanced class until then. For now going under in the Pool - NOT the river - is a big step and he enjoys jumping in.
I NEVER let him "swim" with out myself or my husband holding on to him.
We NEVER let John in the boat without a PFD on him. Just like we don't drive around until he's strapped into the car-seat.
We don't expect him to swim in the river or have the ability to make that choice in the face of danger. . . let alone put him in that situation anytime soon.
My point in adding that comment to my post was that having a child so comfortable with water that he can happily be submereged (or just splashed in the face) is great . . . especially when you're on a boat for days at a time . . .
-JS
Glad to hear you are reasonable in your expectations of what your child's swimming ability is. Many parents I have dealt with over the years have pretty unrealistic expectations of what their child is able to do (ex. "My child has been in swimming lessons for 2 years- why do I need to be right by him?" well- that would be because you child is 3 yrs old ma'am....) KWIM?
Anyway, sounds like you're off to a great start with a kiddo who loves the water. Kudos to you!
Thanks River Mamma! It's good to find this forum!
I would have chicken out on the Salt too!... My rule is if its class III, we have to run it once with out John at similar flows. Its great that your Charlotte love her PFD, John isn't so excited about his...it is well toterated at best. My PFD is his least favorite thing because it means I won't nurse him.
Dad's helmet, now that's another story! And paddles or oars same thing, He REALLY REALLY wants to help too. John is walking and climbing and suddenly very mobile. I think that it was much much easier when he was itty bitty and slept as soon as we got on the water!
Our new game is to put toys near the bail-holes. It's pretty effective in the old boat where there's a lot of water moving around. The new Avon has too much of rocker to have much water in the front.
We go to the Salida Aquatic Center when the gang does the Numbers and or Browns. It seems really nice for the little ones. Do they offer any Tot/Parent classes?
-JS
I would have chicken out on the Salt too!... My rule is if its class III, we have to run it once with out John at similar flows.
Its great that your Charlotte love her PFD, John isn't so excited about his...it is well toterated at best. My PFD is his least favorite thing because it means I won't nurse him.
We go to the Salida Aquatic Center when the gang does the Numbers and or Browns. It seems really nice for the little ones. Do they offer any Tot/Parent classes?
-JS
I do know the Salt VERY well... (at just about any flow,) I have worked it comercially every season it's run since 2001 (except '08... Charlotte was born in the middle of Salt season '08! So we just went for a visit that year, I got to run the daily... under strict orders from the midwife that I was not to touch a paddle... man was that hard!) Anyways, it was the other couples first Salt season, & he is a good boater, I just wasn't comfertable... maby I'm just a controll freak... Anyways, it was only a month or so later that Charlotte did take her first raft trip, on class II, Rio Grande, with my all time ultimate whitewater hero & surroget dad rowing ("Uncle" Steve Harris, owner of Far Flung Adventures,) I felt Very comfertable in that situation! Anyways, yeah! the bilge water is the best! As long as she's happily distracted w/ the bilge water it's fine, but as soon as she remembers the river is on the outside of the boat, I have to keep a white knuckled grip on her! Oh, & as far as nursing in PFD's go, I wear an Astrail womens wonder jacket, & it has a buckle underneith the zipper so you can wear it w/ the zipper open, I think the idea here was ventilation... but it works great for nursing! Also, my best friend (another guide/mom,) wears a Lotus Lola(?) (I think... side zip womens vest...) anyways, she can just pop her breast right out the side of her PFD to nurse!!! I really need to figure out how to post pictures here!!! The picture on my profile page is of nursing while rowing though, you can at least see that. Anyways, I don't know if the Salida Aquatic center offers tott classes or not, I'm actually in NM presently... but I would guess they probly do. Maby I should look for something like that here... not like I would be able to participate for a few months anyways. I broke my ankle last week... so I'm high & dry for a while. but that could be something good for her to do over the winter in preperation of next season!!!
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"There is nothing in this world my dear friend, nothing! Quite so delightfull as messing about in boats! Simply messing about in boats! said Ratty to Mole." -The Wind in The Willows
Yay! Ok, so I figured out how to post an album on my profile page, haven't figured out how to get them into the forum, but at least you can see pictures via my profile now. So, if you go scrolling through the album there are various nursing/rafting picts. I know my friend Kathleen nurses in her PFD too, but I'm not sure what she wears/how she does it. Like I said, Jeremy & I's PFD's just seem to work for it! I could see something like an Extrasport highfloat not working so well though...
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"There is nothing in this world my dear friend, nothing! Quite so delightfull as messing about in boats! Simply messing about in boats! said Ratty to Mole." -The Wind in The Willows
Hey Girls, sounds like many of you share my complete-all-consuming passion for liquid, would love to get on a river with you all sometime. I am looking at Ruby/Horsetheif for the little ones first (they are 4 and 1). I know a late start but they have floated in an eddy on the Poudre in a ducky a lot. Just never went downstream. RiverMamma, sorry to hear about your ankle. bummer. Hopefully I can share the river with you all soon.
Hey Girls, sounds like many of you share my complete-all-consuming passion for liquid, would love to get on a river with you all sometime. I am looking at Ruby/Horsetheif for the little ones first (they are 4 and 1). I know a late start but they have floated in an eddy on the Poudre in a ducky a lot. Just never went downstream. RiverMamma, sorry to hear about your ankle. bummer. Hopefully I can share the river with you all soon.
We are tenatively running Ruby Horse-Thief Sept 18, 19, 20th and have a (full)Westwater Permit 21, 22nd... I am getting a hotel in Moab with the Little Beanie-Boy and The "Big Kids" are running Westwater. We've got a big Group already, but the more the merrier... If you'd like to meet up, let us know!
-JS
but that could be something good for her to do over the winter in preperation of next season!!!
Hybrid Mode
