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I just started teaching my kids to row my 15'raft with 10'oars. My oars are counter balanced so they do not feel heavy. I let them take over on mellow stretches where there is nothing for them to run into, and as long as they keep the raft out of the trees/bank, it is fine with me. Letting them have a chance to copy me makes the trips more fun for them.
My 6 year old is picking it up real quick. He is also very strong for his age, so he really enjoys digging in and trying to move the boat. I do not use oar rights, so watching the screws in the handle was one of the first things I taught them. He picked it up real quick. The first day he tried he ended up rowing for almost an hour, and then he still wanted to go more. At this point I do not let him row down anything bigger then 1+ or a 2-, but for him that is still better then being a passenger. When I am rowing he sits in front of me pointing out the rocks, pillows, and holes. Being able to read the river is as important if not more important then being able to row. it does not matter how well you can row, if you don't know where to point.
My advice is make sure that your kid is hooked on being on the river, get them involved in reading the river, (even let them tell you where to go) and then when they want, to take a turn at the oars. At the early ages you do not want to risk pushing to hard, because a bad experience now can push kids away from being on the river.
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