As a stay-at-home dad of two girls, I’ve played my part in
many a tea party. I’ve judged dress-up
contests, dance competitions, possibly participated in 1 or five…but I’ll never
admit it. Sadly, I’ve learned what a wet
brush is and how to use it. So imagine how
excited I was when their
JK Skippers arrived last weekend.
We went out three afternoons last week. Each trip, I watched as their confidence
grew. The first afternoon they stayed
relatively close and didn’t venture far from my kayak. In fact, it was like playing bumper boats
most of the afternoon. We focused on learning the fundamentals, entering, exiting, stopping, turning, and maneuvering
the kayaks. Towards the end of day one
my oldest (9) was really getting confident.
I mentioned to her that the skippers were very stable and she might try
standing up. Just as she stood up, I
looked over and my youngest (7) was standing and paddling all over the
lake. She’s always been a daredevil and I
have to be careful what I say in front of her.
The afternoon ended with them standing in their kayaks and beaming with confidence.
The next day I awoke to, “daddy can we go kayaking today?” Such a relief from the normal, “can we turn
on cartoons.” I jumped out of bed and we
were on our way before either could change their minds. The confidence they had built the day before
was still growing. Each was ready to hit
the water before I could get my kayak off the truck rack.
My oldest grabbed her kayak and drug it to
the water. Put on her PFD and asked, if
she could get in the water. Of course my
youngest wasn’t about to be left behind.
I watched as they were able to drag their kayaks to the water and get
into them without any assistance. I was
pretty excited that each was comfortable enough to get in the water without me. I took my time and let them explore the surrounding
area on their own.
When I finally got my kayak in the water they were ready to
explore. We set out a quarter mile trek
that ended at an island perfect for swimming and collecting shells. I anchored my kayak under the shade of a
cypress tree and watched as they paddled and swam around the island collecting
shells most of the afternoon.
On the way home that evening, they asked if we could come
back the next day. Of course, I’d do
anything to avoid having my finder nails painted! Our third trip, we really ventured out. We paddled nearly a mile of open water to a
distant island looking for wildlife. Frequent swim breaks were required along the way to cool off from the heat of the day. I was super impressed at how quickly they had
progressed. At every break, I would
watch as they would stow their paddles and secure their kayaks. I had made a point to talk to them about the
danger of losing a paddle or worse their kayak.
The same lessons my dad had taught me over 30 years ago. At the end of day three they could manage
their kayaks on their own. They were
taking responsibility for their gear and their safety. They were learning and I was proud.
In just a few days, we’ve learned that kayaking is a lot of fun
but it also builds confidence, teaches responsibility, requires planning, and is
great exercise. As a parent these are just a few of
many important skills I want my girls to learn.
In a week, they'll start back to school and summer will effectively be
over, but our fun is just beginning.
