u/VictorTheCutie

Is it common for kids younger than 12 to be out on the river in their own kayak?

Our son is 9 and is learning to kayak. He's been out in his own kayak before but only on Lake George/Sunset Marina, and usually connected to my husband's kayak. He's very interested in participating in Floatzilla, but we've never been out on the river, and we just noticed the official website recommends all kids under 12 be in a boat with a parent.

Both my husband and I plan to participate, so we would both be with him. He's very interested in going through the lock, but we also noticed the website says kayakers can't be connected if they go through. We plan to practice more this month to continue to help him feel more and more comfortable. Just wondering about others' experiences with kids on the river. Thanks!

I have 4.5 year old twin girls. As anyone who has dealt with multiples at this age knows, every day, there are things to fight about, and things they don't want to do.

Things they would fight about: who gets to pick what show we watch first, who gets the coveted PURPLE CUP, who gets to pick which car seat to sit in, who gets to go first down the slide, etc.

Things nobody wants to do: neither twin wants to get dressed first, neither wants to get their hair brushed, neither wants to do a potty check, etc.

Finally one day I had enough and I suddenly had the best idea I've ever had, lmao. My twins' names start with H and L. I went to the big calendar and started labeling each day with those letters, alternating back and forth for each day. Today is H's day, tomorrow is L's day, etc. Meaning, every day, ONE SPECIFIC PERSON gets to go first for the fun stuff, but also has to go first for the not-so-fun stuff, too. And if someone is unhappy that they didn't get to go first, "well tomorrow will be your day and then YOU get to go first." Surprisingly, this helps them cope really well. It helps to quickly diffuse arguments with surprising consistency. And we've even gotten to the point where if I forget whose day it is, they will both remind me! Even the twin who isn't being featured for the day.

I know this might not work for all families or kiddos or circumstances, but it is one of the very few things that has truly helped us navigate the most tricky bits of twin life. I hope it can help someone else! 🩷