I've Had The Time Of My Life - The First Skating Lesson

As a semi-suburban kid growing up in the 1980's one of my first tastes of freedom was Friday nights at the local skating rink when I was in middle school.  My parents would drop me off there shortly after dinner and pick me up around 9PM when public skating had ended.  Although I wasn't a good skater by any means, I was proficient enough and had a good time.  Most of the time at the rink was centred around me and my closest friends harassing the kid who ran the music that played over the loud speakers at the rink long enough that he'd play one side of a cassette tape of our choice.  Our choice was ALWAYS the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack, and it didn't take that kid long to realize that it was easiest to just let us listen to our tape and skate around in our interpretation of Dirty Dancing dance moves on ice.

This past Saturday the minions had their very first skating lesson (with eight more to follow), but here's what my takeaways were...

Miss Molly Before Her Very First Lesson

8 Lessons Learned From Our First Skating Lesson

1. It's going to cost a lot of money
We ended up spending less than $100 combined for the lessons, but safety approved helmets with cages, skate sharpening, and skate guards set us back another $165 bucks.  Thankfully the helmets are adjustable and should last them both for another two years or so, but ouch!

2. Bring lots of socks
No matter how careful you tell your child to be they will step in a puddle the second you take off their winter boots.  I brought a second pair of socks for each kid, but it wasn't enough since Molly soaked her first pair before she even had he skates on.  She then complained her feet were cold. Make sure there are at least three pairs of socks per child.





3. Your child is a liar
Molly refused to wear a second pair of gloves for the lesson swearing she wouldn't get too cold.  She had to tap out of her lesson 15 minutes early because (drum roll) she was cold.  For the next lesson she is going to be wearing ALL OF THE LAYERS including a toque under her helmet.

4. They will be terrible, but won't care
Most of the lesson was spent on the ground learning to get up, the rest is spent laying on the ice with Molly getting cold, but the kids didn't care.  Because the minions had asked for skating lessons and mom and dad broke down how expensive the equipment was, they knew that they needed to really try.

5. Never Underestimate the Power of What Time Is It Mr. Wolf
When we got to the rink we caught the tail end of the previous lesson all of the kids were playing what time is it Mr. Wolf.  Jack was inspired.  Despite being a literal Bambi on Ice for the entire lesson he managed to get up, stay up, and almost (sort-of) play the game.






6. Reward them
We took them to McDonalds after their first lesson.  This week I'm going to buy some hot cocoa and marshmallows for after each lesson to give them something to work towards.
7. Find their sweet spot age
Six is about perfect for the minions skating.  They are used to school, lessons and listening, but not old enough to really worry about falling and getting hurt.  Beginners tended to range in age from 4-7.
7. It doesn't matter if they're super stars
Were me and my friends amazing at our Dirty Dancing skating?  Maybe for sheer entertainment value, but no one was an Olympian, and that's cool.  Molly was a lot better on her skates than Jack was, but he was the only one who had the sticktoitiveness to stay to the end of the lesson. Both kids had fun and are looking forward to next week's lesson.  Could we ask for anything more?  Probably not.

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Hold On

Nine months of the year Chris and I try to be as active outdoors as we can with the minions.  We go on hikes, we check out new parks, we go on evening walks, you name it, but during the winter we have a tendency to hibernate.

As a child I had two favourite childhood memories, 1) going to the local skating rink during Friday night Public Skate where my friend T. and I harassed the workers into playing one side of our Dirty Dancing Soundtrack cassette while we pretended that we were Baby and Johnny Castle (AKA Giggled maniacally and skated around) followed by hot chocolate and 2) Tobogganing for hours, also followed by hot chocolate.  Chris' favourite winter childhood memories have to do with cross country skiing along a frozen creek while listening to Wilson Phillips Hold On.  Chris and cross country skiing really has nothing to do with this post, beyond me enjoying picturing my adolescent husband singing, "Some Day Some body's going to make you want to turn around and say goodbye" at the top of his lungs in some Southwestern Ontario parkland while he cross country skis.

My concern lies with the fact that many places, townships etc. are banning one of my favourite childhood winter activities: Tobogganing.  What's next, a hot chocolate ban?  A Wilson Phillips Ban?

 

I understand that tobogganing poses a greater accident danger risk than say, puzzling, but I also know that there is very little that gets me, or my children, outside and active in the winter and that hitting a hill for an hour or two on a crisp clear day is fantastic exercise.

I am a firm believer in modified "free-range" children.  Basically we try to eliminate the most dangerous items and situations from the minion's reach, but we let them take calculated risks to expose them to a smidgen of Darwinism/ the concept of "THAT IS REALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA!"  I think some of this has to do with my obsession with the show Bubble Wrapped Kids that I watched fanatically during the first year of Molly and Jack's life.

All of that being said, I'm still going to take my kids tobogganing and think that this is an amazing winter activity, especially when you take the correct precautions.

Here are some suggested safety tips, which include a lot of common sense,  for an enjoyable tobogganing experience (Please note: I assume no responsibility for some of the ridiculous stuff that other people's children do):

9 Common Sense Tobogganing Safety Tips

1. Only toboggan during daylight (or on a well lit hill).
2. Always sit or kneel facing forward.
3. It is recommended that children under five are accompanied by an adult, or at least a big kid who can help them navigate the hill.
4. Select a hill with a gradual slope, no obstacles (i.e. trees and large rocks) and make sure there is ample room for stopping at the bottom.
5. Inspect your sled for wear and tear before you go out. Check to make sure that the brakes work.  Don't use a cracked or broken sled, just throw it out.
6. When you reach the bottom of the hill, GET OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER SLEDDERS.
7. If the hill seems too crowded, it probably is.  Go somewhere else.
8. Helmets are recommended for adults and children, but especially children.
9. Leave your pets at home.  No one needs to worry about Lassie's whereabouts while they're hurtling down a hill.

Click here to read 9 important things to note when sledding with toddlers.

Click here for a listing of 10 places to toboggan in Toronto.

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