Vutulaki wrote:Canuckster wrote:Masato wrote:I was playing by a fast-running creek yesterday with the kids. A tree had fallen over a rather swift/deep part of the river and my daughter wanted to cross it. I did it first and she really wanted to try so I let her and she did/really proud of herself.
My younger son wanted to try, and I knew inside me he has a huge chance of falling (it was fairly tricky, if you freeze for a moment likely to fall in). I said better not, but my wife insisted I can't do that and to let him try. He made it across, but fell on the way back. Right in over his head in the strongest part of the current. He said he swallowed some water and was trying to swim back up to grab the tree but couldn't fight the current and got really afraid (I explained to him after if he had just turned around and floated down he would have hit shallow ground right away). I pulled him out but he was soaked from head to to and scratched up his back on the tree as he fell.
be honest.. Is this child abuse?
That thar is what we call a lesson.
Yes the young man learned to listen to his dad and never his mum or any other brain dead female (Not a personal attack on your wife masato its an observation of the entire female gender)
That is interesting, I puzzled that myself at the moment.
I crossed the log first myself, to test it. It was fairly tricky... a good test of agility for my daring and coordinated daughter, and I was nervous to even let her try. Its all in the mind imo, you have to commit and DO IT, any hesitation and you will get wobbly and fall. I know my daughter has more experience than my son in these kinds of things.
I KNEW my son is not quite there yet, and felt his hesitation; he wanted to do it and is pretty coordinated in his own right, just younger and less experienced. But I could see in my mind's eye that it was a fuckin coin toss whether he would go for a drink or not.
I suggested lovingly he better not take this one, it would be a big fall and swim if he slips... but my wife supported him and said to let him try. Said it wasn't right to let 1 kid and not the other, or to not give him the chance to try. I made it very clear about being OK with the consequences, and said OK try then and gave him the same coaching about commitment and attention etc.
He made it across! This was great he was really happy.
But then he fell on the way back, lol
So who was right? Me, or my wife? Should I have trusted my instincts about was is reasonable risk, let him come home dry but having his dad say no? Or should I have let him try, go home soaked but learned the lesson?
Interesting question