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| The twins kept right up with the Park Ranger on the climb. I’m on the ground, taking the photo, trying to convince myself to climb up with the family. |
It’s difficult for parents not to project their fears onto their children. Case in point: I’m extremely nervous around edges—you know, like cliffs. I realize this is funny coming from a lady who camps each summer with her five children, but it’s true.
My children are part Billy goat and climb everything; trees, rocks, even ropes. My husband tries to convince me that climbing is a rite of passage for children. Needless to say, I disagree—because they all started climbing way too early, like at the age of 2. It was my son who taught his two-year-old twin sisters to climb the rope in the back yard, a mooring line anchored in our maple tree. But that’s another story.
I became hyper aware of cliffs when we were camping in Colorado with the family. One night at dinner my husband made an announcement.
“Tomorrow, we’re going to visit the ancient cliff dwellers.”
Oooo’s rang out around the dinette tables. But all I could do was tremble.
“What cliff?” I called. “Who’s ancient?”
My husband just smiled and patted my trembling hand.
“Don’t worry,” he told the family. “They have tall, vertical ladders to use.”
There was only one word I didn’t like in that statement. Can you guess? Yep. It’s vertical—as in straight up and down.
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| Somewhat solid ground. I tried not to think of the cliff ledge we were on. |
MesaVerde National Park is a semi-arid desert dotted in green pines tucked into sandstone cliffs. Mesa Verde is Spanish for Green Table. It’s proof of an ancient farming culture where the Ancestral Puebloans, the ancient ones, planted corn above their clay brick homes made into the cliffs and cotton, beans, squash, and melons on the moist canyon floor.
But that’s not what the children were interested in. They wanted to take the Trail of the Ancients with the 18 inch wide, 12 foot long tunnel on your hands and knees at Balcony House. They wanted to race up vertical ladders at both Cliff Palace and Balcony House—one of them nearly 32 feet in height. Balcony House is 600 feet above the floor of Soda Canyon. Cliff Palace has a 100 foot vertical climb. My children possess no fear.
Why did the Ancestral Puebloans move from the cliff dwellings? Did the crops fail because of drought and they moved on? Did the people die out? Or did one paranoid mother of five get on the leaders’ nerves so badly about the possibility of children falling off the ladders that the people relocated? Experts theorize that the Ancestral Puebloans relocated to a more defensive position closer to the canyon floor.
I bet mothers had something to do with that. And I also bet the mothers were glad to be on solid ground, if only to stop carrying the produce up all those vertical ladders. I know I was glad to be back on the ground. The Ancestral Puebloans must have been in better shape.
How about you? Do you have any fears you need to be wary of passing along to your children?
I know I will probably fear everything my son does when he's young. I can just hear him now, "Jeeze mom, it's just a swing. I'll be fine." Well at least I have time. He's still an infant. I would probably go crazy with Mesa Verde and all those cliffs.
Oh, my. What an adventure. I always have my heart in my mouth when my daughter tries all these stunts.
Ah, yes, Michelle. You have time. We first went camping when our oldest was about 4 months old. We had a little portable cradle and traveled locally in an old van my husband customized into a camper. Ah, the memories we create once we have children. Please enjoy your new son. It will be difficult, but you'll need to let him explore and try new things within reason. Always a pleasure seeing you here at Camping with Kids. Thanks for your note!
I believe all parents do, Nas. We can't help it; we love them so. Thank you so much for your kind note on Camping with Kids. Always wonderful visiting with you on Camping with Kids. All the best, my dear!
Climbing is inherent in kids genes and they are far more mobile and foot sure than us oldies. You cannot wrap them in cotton wool, all you can do is just leave them to it and hope for the best.
Bill
http://walksintameside.co.uk
And a few prayers wouldn't hurt either, Bill. Thanks so much for sharing your insight here at Camping with Kids. Always a pleasure seeing you here.