Teach them when they are young ...

My daughter, Leanne, rock climbing in 2008.  She was 12 years old then.

Three points of contact.  That was our instruction to her at the age of three when she first climbed the great rock at the Leavenworth campsite.  She never got far from us as we helped her find handholds and places to plant her feet.  Always have three points of contact.  Foot, foot, hand or hand, hand, foot.  Establish a new secure position and then take another step.

Ever since then, she has loved scaling things.  Rock faces, climbing walls, and even the odd tree.  And those early lessons never left her.  Even today, she loves climbing and has an oft-used membership at a climbing wall.  Overcoming gravity in this way has numerous advantages.  Strength, balance, endurance, being goal-oriented, and having a hobby that also serves as a stress reliever.  And she has all this thanks to that big rock she used to climb when we camped at Leavenworth, Washington.

Children's sports and activities are important as the lessons they embrace become part of their nature later on.  Swimming, ball-sports, skating, rock climbing, music, games, and so on; the list is endless.  Start them early and watch them grow.  You will be amazed at how they incorporate everything into who they will eventually become.

 

Leanne climbing at 15 years of age.  Can you find her on the left image?

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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