Dad advice / Mt. Lemmon
I need some dad advice.
OJ's (youth, draft-legal) triathlon team is going on a spring break training camp for several days that that culminates in a climb of Mt. Lemmon. She's 15 (race age 16) and the kids that will be there will all be pretty strong 16-19 year olds, mostly from her team, but some from other teams nationally. It's a few days after a CAMTRI race she's doing.
The head coach asked me to come along and help. Physically, I can keep up cycling with the girls, and OJ is one of the stronger girls, so I could bring up the rear no problem and leave her alone to ride and run with the strongest girls. There are a couple of actually good male cyclists going to support the guys so that won't be anything I have to worry about.
I'd like to go, because climbing Lemmon would be really cool...and because as you might imagine, I've gotten more covetous of getting "experiences" with my kids. She seems very cool with the idea, but I also don't want to be helicopter dad. She would stay with the team, not with me.
I don't want to turn this down, but I want to let her grow up too. Advice from my tri friends?
Comments
That sounds like an *awesome* experience to have with OJ and her team. I can't imagine how cool that would be to do with your daughter.
I would be surprised if you two weren't talking about it for years and years.....
Joe
As a father of 4, my opinion is that you can accomplish both goals here.
First of all, the opportunities to spend time with kids get fewer and far between as they get older. Once you miss a day or an opportunity you lose it forever, you can never go back and get it. I say you have to take advantage of this great time to make some memories even if it means standing in the shadows at the appropriate times to allow her to "grow up".
Enjoy................