Mexican Trip

I haven't written as much about being a parent as I probably advertised during my initial post, or my philosophies therein.  Here's a little story about our winter trip to the Riviera Maya to visit my parents.

One thing I really appreciate about my parents is that they have always encouraged me to be learning about the world around me, and to appreciate new things.  They are continuing to help me do this, and they are helping me to share this with my children.

When my Dad retired in 2007 my parents bought a small weekender trailer to travel for two years.  After four years in that little thing, they bought the big rig, and haven't looked back.  Almost every year since 2008 they have driven their rig to Mexico to spend the winter on the beach.  Three of those years they have flown the family in for a week to share in the fun.

The second rig, which now lies in Mexican scrap yards.  

This  year Caveboy is three and a half years old, and therefore becoming aware of his world.  He's technically been to Quintana Roo all three times we have been down, but once was as a raspberry-sized cluster of cells, and the second time as a 7 month old baby.  On this trip he got to grow so much, and experience in the real world, things that had only been imaginary to him before.

Caveboy two years ago.

Some highlights for Caveboy:

• Dolphins, seals and the Sea Cow
• Crabs
• Breadnut Trees
• Tower
• Boat Ride
• Floating
• Waves
• Daddy Dolphin
• Grandpa's Orange Juice

Dolphins
Before the trip we talked about dolphins a little, not because we knew we would get to see any, but because he has a dolphin (and a crab) bath toy.  We had even started to talk about the differences between mammals and non-mammals.  He remembered that dolphins "have milk", but that fish don't have milk.

It is a totally different experience getting to see an animal in the flesh, especially when one hasn't seen Flipper.  Last year when Caveboy was two we took him to a local petting zoo where he got to see sheep for the first time.  He'd had toys of sheep, but most likely believed that sheep were only an inch and a half tall.  Boy was he excited to see how big and fluffy they actually were.

If you haven't taken your kids to the farm/petting zoo, I suggest you make a point of an outing  That day a first grade class was on their way in when a parent-chaperon asked one of the kids what his favorite farm animal was.  He answered "chickens, because they make milk"...

Dolphin at Puerta Aventuras

I had never seen dolphins in the flesh before either, but seeing them in captivity at Puerta Aventuras was a bit of a zoo experience.  The sea cow is a very interesting creature, and there were several people paying to feed them some romaine lettuce.

Sea Cow at Puerta Aventuras

Crabs were another animal that we got to see plenty of.  Hermit crabs hang round the trailers where my parents park.  They are the beaches little composters, eating the scraps accidentally, or intentionally by the locals.  Caveyboy never got quite brave enough to touch one, but he let us know each time he saw one.

The Breadnut Tree
One difficulty with traveling with small children is in how to plan activities that are fun for the whole family.  How can a hike through jungle, and a visit to the Mayan ruins at Muyil be fun for a three year old? Making an adventure out of it helps.

Babies dig culture too.

We took a guided tour with Miguel from Kan Tours, who has been a friend to my parents since their first trip to the Yucatan.  Miguel is an intense and knowledgeable naturalist and environmentalist.  He very skillfully weaves together the cultural and natural aspects of the surroundings. He knows most of the birds in the area by their call, can talk at length about the history and usage of the local flora, and knows a lot about the archaeology and history of the Mayan people.

This can be a lot for a three year old to take in, but there is always something for everyone.  One tree in particular allowed Caveboy to participate in the adventure.  The Breadnut Tree, a very common ficus-looking tree, seemed to be uniformly scattered around the jungle.  After Miguel explained all the uses to us, I was able to engage Caveboy in finding as many Breadnuts as he could.  This kept him quite happy for most of the hiking portion of trip that day.  Of course we also looked for animal sign! He was able to recognize the same scat we see up in Colorado: fox.

Caveboy with his collection of Breadnuts.

  If you ever want to scare the heck out of yourself, help a three year old climb to the top of a rickety wooden tower, and back down.

At least he isn't worried.

Safely Down

Boat Ride
Caveboy has been on a boat, in Mexico, before....


...I doubt he remembers it.

We haven't done the best job of introducing the boys to water, so the boat trip into Sian Ka'an was a new adventure.  I thought we went pretty fast across the waves of the lagoon, but, Caveboy thought it was too slow.  Dad must be old.

Miguel is an awesome guide.  

It's great having Auntie E around to hold babies

Floating
As mentioned above, the boys aren't swimmers yet, so the float trip was a little bit of a concern for Caveboy.  He had to wear his PFD properly, which is uncomfortable for floating.  The rest of us sat on them like diapers.  Luckily Cavebaby fell asleep in his Auntie's arms, and slept in the boat with Grandpa while the rest of us floated into the Sian Ka'an biosphere.

The whole trip was a great introduction to water play, and this was another, fun aspect of it.  In addition to floating, we could see fish in the crystal clear water, and many types of birds.

Floating in the canal.

Fish no have milk 

Finding Fish on the walk back to the boats

Do you remember the first time you got beat down by the ocean? I suppose I don't, though I'm sure the waves on Daejeon beach in South Korea must have sucked me under more than once when I was five years old.  Caveboy might not remember his first altercation with the rumbling sea, but I won't forget it.

Getting Bold (Grandpa just off camera)

The surf was too rough for snorkeling, and not quite big enough for surfing,but it was perfect for a three-year-old to learn to respect the sea.  He started out respectably timid, running away from the diminishing foam that spreads itself thin up the crushed coral sand.  During the first day he spent a fair amount of time being held by Auntie E out in the rolling waves.  I could tell he was nervous, but he was enjoying himself as well.

During the first afternoon he began to venture just to where the breakers would make balance a little hard, and then turn back.  By that third morning he got a little too bold.  Parents, grandparents, and Auntie E were ever present, so we felt comfortable letting the sea earn his respect.

Big Wave!

He walked out with Grandpa at his side, and Mommy lurking secretly up the beach from him.  Both cautiously and confidently he strode into the water.  One wave knocked him back a bit, but he kept his composure and sallied on.  Finally when he was just over waist deep in the surf the big one came and swept him back, and dunked him before leaving him sitting in the calm of the apex.  He looked surprised, but not (too) scared.  He now knew that there were limits.  

Whoosh!

Daddy Dolphin

Part of learning about water is to first observe how other people behave in the water.  He got to see us snorkel, and swim around in the sea and cenotes.  He even got to see Uncle Kid and I do some cliff diving.  Every time I surfaced from a dive he said something about "Daddy Dolphin".  

Clapping for Uncle Kid's first jump into Cristalino Cenote. 

Daddy Dolphin Waiting to attack (Photo: Grandma)

Grandpa's Orange Juice

One of the greatest things about the tropics is how much fresh fruit is available. Most kids can probably guess that orange juice comes from oranges, even if they think that milk comes from chickens, but its another thing to actually make your own orange juice.  The first time I had fresh squeezed orange juice I was 15, and I remember being really surprised at how much better it tastes than juice from the store.  Caveboy now knows about real orange juice.  Of course he believes that it is made exclusively by Grandpa.  

Grandpa at his orange juice station.

Trips like this are filled with days that are at once lazy and relaxing, and packed with adventure and learning for young and old alike. In addition to all the new experiences Caveboy had, Bam Bam (formerly known as Cave Baby) had his first ocean experience, I learned how to free dive to 12 meters, and Uncle Kid learned that mammals move their flippers up and down, and that fish flip from side to side.  

I love watching this guy grow.

A boy and his beach

Is My Child Ready To Ski?

"I got Timmy on skis at 18 months." "Maddie was skiing blues at 2." If you are a skier, you have probably heard some parents "proudly sharing" the age at which they first got their children on skis. And if you are a parent, or aspiring parent, who skis you have probably wondered what is the right approach to introducing your own children to the slopes.


How old should my child be? How will I know when she is ready to ski?

Is Caveboy (3.5 years, 2.5 year when I started this post!) ready to ski? Maybe.

To start out with you should probably try to ignore or try to filter through what other parents tell you about how early their children started skiing.  Focus on your own child's wants, motivations, and abilities. It can be easy to get excited to introduce your children to something that you enjoy so much, but try to remember that this will be their adventure, not yours.  I have been teaching children to ski since 2005, and even with the experience to know what it really takes to get a kid skiing and loving it, I still find myself wanting to get Caveboy out there right now.

I started this post at the end of the 2015 ski season, and I think it's about time I finished it.  Caveboy has been on the snow a couple of times now, and I will try to keep you up on how that is going as I give my opinions on how and when to start skiing.

For most children and circumstances the absolute earliest I would start your child skiing is kindergarten.

I'll start with the optimal, but keep reading past this before making the decision to wait.  Your families circumstances (access to skiing, etc.) in addition to you ability to afford lessons and your child's individual aptitudes are all part of the consideration. I will talk about the best ways to help your pre-school age children learn to ski in a later post.

For most children and circumstances the absolute earliest I would start your child skiing is kindergarten (between 5 and 6 years old). If you have a child of this age I am sure you have seen their global capabilities explode since starting kindergarten or first grade.  They are becoming very aware of their surroundings, their use and understanding of language has become on par with some adults you know, and physically they have become quite strong and agile.  For some people who don't play sports later, this may be the most fit they will ever be.

Sure there is something to be retained from skiing at four, or even three, but I have often seen that a five year old can catch up to kids who have been introduced to skiing at three or four years old in only a couple of weekends.  This is mostly due to the fact that the four year old likely only skied on the hill a couple of times, and of course they were not as strong and coordinated as they are now.  They didn't really learn that much.

The other reason that the five-year-old newbie catches up quickly is that 99% of the time the younger skier was over terrained and has developed bad, defensive skiing habits, that are very hard to break.  Conversely the five-year-old newbie, who is stronger, more patient, and better at learning physically and cognitively, and is more attuned affectively, is able to learn and perform proper fundamentals on their first day of the season.

...you have now put yourself in the same space as that Dad who hauls their kid to the top of the bunny hill and yells "Pizza Pizza Pizza!!!" at their back as they torpedo through my class and out into the parking lot.

If you get your three year old stuck in that power wedge their first season, it may take years to break them out of it.  Sure it's fun to brag that they got down that really steep green (Sundance at the Basin) stuck in the power wedge, but now you can probably be assured that your child will still be skiing like that at seven.  Even if you were smart enough to put your child in lessons, or introduce them slowly, you have now put yourself in the same space as that Dad who hauls their kid to the top of the bunny hill and yells "Pizza Pizza Pizza!!!" at their back as they torpedo through my class and out into the parking lot.  After all, that's how you learned to ski, and it totally worked.

If you don't ski every weekend it is probably best to wait until your children are at least five years old and in kindergarten or first grade to introduce them to skiing.  It will be more fun because they will learn faster, and they will be more in charge of their own adventure.

....now if you live near enough to you ski area, and will be up nearly every weekend, and have the time/money/patience, you can totally get your pre-school age kids skiing.  More on that next week.

I will also write a bit on how to prepare your kids for learning to ski, and a bit on how to teach them yourself (not recommended, but you'll still do it).