I often see kite surfers zipping around Lake Ontario on windy days and I think it would be a great sport to pick up. The only problem is – what do I do with the kids? I can’t very well go flailing around in the water with my young kids patiently waiting on the shore for hours at a time. You might be thinking that maybe my wife could look after the kids – but she is home with the kids all week so I’m not sure that “playing around in the water” qualifies as a bonafide excuse to leave her with the kids.
For those of you with young kids – how do you do activities that don’t involve the kids? Do you just give up on them altogether?
Here are some pics I took last weekend of kiteboarders:
All photos taken with my trusty Canon 200sx.
12 replies on “Kite Surfing – Looks Like Fun But What About The Kids?”
The answer is clearly to call in sick and go kiteboarding on a weekday.
Nice pics with a beautiful blue sky. We played tennis all weekend, and our photos look summery too, can’t believe it!
That looks like so much fun!
How old are your kids? At what age can they start doing this?
If it were me (mine are 9 & 11), I’d go with a group of friends and have the kids take pictures from the shore with one of the adults in the group. The adults could then take turns and the kids could record the event. It wouldn’t work with toddlers though.
Re: Your question – how do you do activities that don’t involve the kids? We have a date night once a week. It’s so worth it to spend some time together in kid-free activities to remind each other why we chose one another in the first place. 🙂
P.S. I love my Canon too. Ours is Rebel XT.
I have a two-year old, and my “fun” life is pretty much over. I guess that’s the price you have to pay if you want visitors in the retirement home. And that’s not even guaranteed ;-).
In about five years we’re going to be sending her to overnight camp, and then we’ll start doing the things we used to do again. In the meantime it’s pretty much toddler-oriented fun – all the time.
When we can, we get a babysitter on Saturday nights and go out for dinner together.
Guinness – that’s a great idea. Ironically I might be going home sick today…because I am.
Kathryn – I have two toddlers. I’m pretty sure they can’t do kite surfing. 🙂 Great idea about getting a group of people though.
Alexandra – Lol – sounds like my life. We should hang out. 🙂
I really enjoy spending time with my kids on the weekend but I just wish it didn’t have to be the entire weekend.
My weekends are spoken for. As Mike points out, my spouse looks after the kids during the workweek and I would consider it terribly unfair (not to mention, the guilt factor would prevent me from enjoying) to take off for some activity over the weekend.
But then again, kids grow up so fast and in a few years, I can take all of them along to whatever “adventure” I’m planning. I don’t think the loss of freedom is such a loss after all.
this seems to be unbelievably fun. it is a sport that i will definitely take up in the near future- along with bungee jumping and skydiving. I dont have kids but the problem is that i am a little pressed for cash- at least as at this particular moment
CC – yes, they do grow up fast. My big concern (which is a bit selfish I’ll admit) is that I’m an “old” parent so by the time they are 10+ and more independent I might not be able to do some of the things I’d like to do.
KenyaTykoon – Good point about the cost – I suspect the board/sailing/wetsuit might be a few bucks.
How old? I’m 51 and my youngest is turning 7. I don’t have a lot of interest in daredevil activities, but I did go white-water rafting before I got pregnant with her and loved it. I’d like to do it again once or twice a year, starting maybe next summer.
And I want to go back to doing swords. I think Dear Child can start next year or the year after (she’s interested; I wouldn’t put her into it otherwise). As for what I do with her when I go out, my situation is that we all share a house with my eldest daughter and her family, so she just hangs out with her sister and brother-in-law and nieces. Or she does something with my Hubby.
I’ve never liked going out much when I had a nursing baby or toddler but once they’re preschool age I think one date night a week is good for a couple and one class or something per week each is fine. Besides, by then the kids usually want to do ballet or swimming or soccer or something. Why can’t everyone have one thing they take part in? Assuming you can afford it, of course. I’m putting off the swords until the financial situation is better, though nothing on earth could convince my Hubby to drop playing hockey weekly for about half the year.
Shevy, I play hockey once a week so maybe I shouldn’t complain too much. 🙂
While I can’t help with the child-care arrangements, I can help you find over 150 kiting spots here in Ontario, all overlaid with wind info, so you know when to ride.
Kiting is very demanding on your time, and you need to know when to ride to get the most of your precious “me” time, when you can get it.
Expect to pay $200o for gear initially, plus $500 in lessons. Most kiters in Ontario have at least 2 kites ($1,000 each) + board ($500), plus dry suits ($250), harness ($150).
http://localkitespots.com/kitesurfing/Ontario
You may consider snow kiting to start, less investment in equipment, and you can pull your kids in a sled for a never ending sleigh ride…
Good luck.
it looks to me like kitesurfing could be fun,if you are single or married with no kids. i was once single ;married and had no kids.
then came the kids and guess what ?i still did the things i loved to do.
i took the kids with me about all the time .thay loved swimming,camping and hunting,ect
the kids grew up had children also along with my children and there kids we still did all trhe things i loved to do.
none of them ever got in any serious trouble thay are not perfect but are good kids.
now i am disabled and cant do the things i loved to do by myself .
guess what ,now my kids will take me out i can fish with the .i can camp with them but i cant go hunting anymore.
what i am saying now that you have kids give kite surffing up for the kids unless thay like to go watch you.
do a lot of things the kids like to do.
THAY WILL REMEMBER IT WHEN YOU ARE OLD AND CANT DO MUCH ON YOUR OWN ANYMORE.
BELIEVE ME YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU PUT THE KIDS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST I AM
RESPECTIFULY RICHARD
HI I know this post is a bit old now, but I am a kitesurfer and I have one on the way, and have lots of friends who kite and have kids too. I dont think you need to give up everything for them, just set aside some time – not all of your weekend of course! I am lucky enough that I live close to the beach, so kiting takes me 30mins to go there and get ready, intense kite for 30-40 mins then 30 mins back home. So I am probably done in under 2 hours. Mind you this is theoretical at the moment and I am sure my wife will have her opinion too!