Torturing children by taking them 'wheeling?

1481 Views 23 Replies 20 Participants Last post by WyoOtto, Jun 20, 2008

chango

Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2008

I took my family out the other day for a quick evening ride on the hillside near my house. My son and daughter are 8 and 6, and have been on many wheeling trips with me since they were babies. Anyway, I started climbing a hill that was a bit steep and made up of loose dirt and gravel, made it up about 3/4 of the way before the FJ lost traction and wouldn't go any further. So, I started backing down slowly in 4 low, slipped a little while going back down and my kids totally loose it! They started screaming and crying in pure panic. They have never done it before either

It wasn't even an "adrenaline hill" for me either. Now my kids won't go play with me in the dirt :boohoo:

I feel guilty... :mecry:

Now my kids will grow up with some kind of complex...or worse, have no interest or desire to go 4 wheeling.

What do I do?

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Fjamming

· #2 · Jun 19, 2008

:lol: Maybe they are messing with you.

Find something for them to do next time you head out. Give them a purpose. "When we get there, we'll put up a hammock". "Let's look for some cool rocks when we get there". "Help me get over this hill". They like to feel like they are part of the action. Or you could always just give them candy. :roller:

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Trail Gator

· #3 · Jun 19, 2008

When I was a little kid I woulda killed for my Dad to take me wheeling. He never did.

Instead I spent all of my time mudding my MTB and BMX bikes with my friends. Fun times. Killed a lot of Walmart bikes back then.

Gunny

· #4 · Jun 19, 2008

That's a tough one, maybe ease them back into it slowly. I guess it all depends on your kids. You know them better than anyone on here.

Had it been me with my kids. I would hit the same hill with a little more speed to make it up and been able to say "see I told you it was no big deal". Their tears would have dried up quick.

FJ FunJunkie

· #5 · Jun 19, 2008

My 4 year old cheers me on in the scary parts, its the long flat parts for hours at a time to get there that make her stomach hurt sometimes.

Athena

· #6 · Jun 19, 2008

my kids have no response what so ever to it now. they'll be in the back screamin up a storm fighting with eachother.. while I'm trying to pay attention to my spotter..

Just reassure them that daddy won't take them somewhere they're going to get hurt.

Fjamming

· #7 · Jun 19, 2008

Actually when I joke about a difficult section by being dramatic, they think it's funny. if I say we're going to flip, they say go faster! I may tell one of them to go out and push because we might get stuck. They look at each other and laugh. When the going is really difficult or if I'm coming to a tough section that I'm not comfortable with, I don't do it with my kids.

chango

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 19, 2008

FJ_Marine said:
Had it been me with my kids. I would hit the same hill with a little more speed to make it up and been able to say "see I told you it was no big deal". Their tears would have dried up quick.

It was a long hill...about 800 ft according to Google Earth. In the past I would have tried again too; I guess I'm starting to get old. :mecry:

logan9967

· #9 · Jun 19, 2008

hehe, make sure they're buckled up nice. they won't be worried if you aren't.

next time you slide backwards down a 800foot hill start laughing

oh no wait, that might be worse.. :lol:

kokopelli

· #10 · Jun 19, 2008

Kids are like that; they'll let you know when they're ready to go again. When mine were younger I tried to take them to see some cliff dwellings, "they were like yea sure, if we have to". I tried to get them to roadtrip with me, run a few trails, same response. Every other "great idea" I came up with was the same. We had a few incidents similar to yours along the way as well. I think I was more interested in them "experiencing things" than they were. AS they grow, they change. I gave up and let them do what the pleased. Ron

chango said:
I took my family out the other day for a quick evening ride on the hillside near my house. My son and daughter are 8 and 6, and have been on many wheeling trips with me since they were babies. Anyway, I started climbing a hill that was a bit steep and made up of loose dirt and gravel, made it up about 3/4 of the way before the FJ lost traction and wouldn't go any further. So, I started backing down slowly in 4 low, slipped a little while going back down and my kids totally loose it! They started screaming and crying in pure panic. They have never done it before either
It wasn't even an "adrenaline hill" for me either. Now my kids won't go play with me in the dirt :boohoo:

I feel guilty... :mecry: Now my kids will grow up with some kind of complex...or worse, have no interest or desire to go 4 wheeling. What do I do?

1 Bored Clerk

· #11 · Jun 19, 2008

I remember many 'scary' moments wheeling with my dad when I was a kid, but it was all behind me once I got my hands on my first Tacoma.

They might be afraid of certain moments now but they may be enthusiastic about it when they are able to drive...and be in control. My memories of all the cool places we went far outweigh the fright of the moment.

CowboyCEO

· #12 · Jun 19, 2008

Load your kids in the FJ and go tackle that hill again. (after a few solo runs to find the lines) and teach them a valuable "Life Lesson". The hill represents a schoolyard bully and the FJ represents a way to tackle that bully.

Haff

· #13 · Jun 19, 2008

CowboyCEO said:
Load your kids in the FJ and go tackle that hill again. (after a few solo runs to find the lines) and teach them a valuable "Life Lesson". The hill represents a schoolyard bully and the FJ represents a way to tackle that bully.

cool.. I learned something today. You can take care of bullies by driving a 4600 lb vehicle over them :lol::cheers:

chango

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jun 19, 2008

CowboyCEO said:
Load your kids in the FJ and go tackle that hill again. (after a few solo runs to find the lines) and teach them a valuable "Life Lesson". The hill represents a schoolyard bully and the FJ represents a way to tackle that bully.

I can't help but think that it would be more "interesting" to represent the bully with a stack of watermelons and the way to deal with the bully being represented by my children and a razor sharp Katana. :lol: But that would be bad parenting... :jester:

Anyways, now I *have* to conquer that hill... because it is there, mocking me... :rawr:

mtrent3450

· #15 · Jun 19, 2008

My 9 year old is a little gun shy after rolling in my brothers 4runner at the AllPro Jamboree.

He always thinks we are going to roll in the FJ. My daughter was in my sandrail 3 years ago when we rolled that and it took her awhile to get over it. I just take it easy and let my son know that we are going to be ok and I am taking the safest line possible.

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AhYeahFJ

· #16 · Jun 19, 2008

I had a similar reaction from my 6 year old daughter, who loves to go wheeling, when my mom and dad decided to try and go wheeling with me, shortly after my dad bought a jeep TJ. After driving several easier obstacles, and seeing that my mom is terrified, my wife and I made the mistake of letting my daughter ride with her grandparents for a while. when it was time for my daughter to get back in the FJ, she began crying and said "This is way too dangerous, I want to go home!" Needless to say this ended the FUN day of wheeling that we had planned, not only because my little girl who used to love wheeling in the FJ wanted to go home, but also my wife and I were so mad at my mom for puting these thoughts into her head.
To make a long story short, my daughter fell asleep before getting back to the pavement, and when she woke up from her power nap was bummed out that we were already on our way home. the next time we went wheeling she was ready to go and showed no fear. most recently at the Thrill on the Hill event in Ruidoso NM, after a long day wheeling with the trail team my daughter asked, " Daddy, When are we going to do some of that wreckless driving like we usually do?" I knew then that grandma's comments no longer had any effect on her, and she was having fun again.:clap:

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VDM

· #17 · Jun 19, 2008

Throw them back in the FJ. Scare them, torture them, make them scream. And laugh while doing it. For once they become teenagers.....the shoe will be on the other foot!

rrjames

· #18 · Jun 19, 2008

Ugh! Yea when I was a bit younger I used to die of boredom when my father would go wheeling with me in the car. He never set up any extreme angles that could roll the car with us in it though. If there was anything he was unsure of he would order everyone out of the car.

Cypher

· #19 · Jun 20, 2008

I agree with Fjamming. Think of something so that they feel like they are helping you. I have been going wheeling with my Dad since I was old enough to not have to use a car seat. I remember a few times that I cried like a little kid (wait a sec I was a little kid) when he was doing something that scared the heck out of me. After a while I just got used to the different feelings you get while wheeling. Most importantly he always had me doing something that most of the time didn't mean anything but I felt like I was doing something. He used to give me a map and a compass and tell me to help him navigate. Obviously I had no idea what I was doing but it was fun! By the age of about 9 I had actually learned to read a map and how to use a compass. He gave me little bits of info all along the way as not to overwhelm me with all the details at once. Also, he gave me a camera that I could take pictures from inside the truck so I could show my friends how scary something was. This made for great show & tell time at school. I am sure you can think of others, but just make them feel like they are there to help you with something...

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FJCcrawler

· #20 · Jun 20, 2008

Throw them back in the FJ and show thm that you can go up that hill with ease!!!.....:bigthumb:

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