Kiteboarder´s life...... being a parent?

[plummet]

I have 3 kids. 4,6 and 8.

Life as you know it will change. That is for sure. prepair yourself for not much kiting the first 6 months.

However I think you need to make time to get out and have a session weekly. It might only be a very short session. rig up get wet throw a few jumps and go home.

So sessions will become shorter and your available window during the day might not match the ideal wind time. So you will find yourself kiting in all conditions.

Also you may notice a need to tone down the crazy. All of a sudden you have responserbility to keep working and provide and income. Plus when your ride time decreases you can't progress as much.... your skill level may even drop.

Enjoy.

[SupaEZ]

Alternating the times on the water always worked for us to spend time with our only son

I see many younger dads expressing themselves and it is nice to see how they do it

When our son was real young ...my better half and i were avid windsurfers..alternating on the water

We switched to kitesurfing in 99 when he was 11....it makes it soooo much easier as they get older

Those were really great times....he learned to kitesurf with us...we had so much fun together

We both look back at those days...our son had a lot of attention...and we both had lots of water time

He has been on his own now for 4 years...he is 24....kitesurfing is not in his blood..he surfs and sails

His focus is education...work....and perhaps one day he will meet a perfect girl to start his own life

So time goes by fast...tic toc tic toc....family comes first...make it count...but do not deprive yourself

Of course with empty nest .....the freedom to kite til you drop returns..especially if wife is addict too

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[fishy]

These are the things that have helped me over the years:

Plan sessions well in advance if possible
Flexible job hours/self employment
Live near a decent beach
The family never come down the beach, if it's kitesurf weather, then it's not beach weather
I don't think you can expect to do as much as you currently do in the really early years, but as kids grow up you do start to get more time and independence, but other problems with the kids
You both need outlets of some sort in a relationship, even more so with kids, so kitesurfing should be actively encouraged

[fourperf]

I will give you a different perspective. I am probably a few years older than you but not much. I have 3 kids. 18,16,14 (I started young). My oldest son rides for a kite company and my youngest kites just for fun. My daughter in in college. I started kiting in 2001 and like most of you kited every second I could. My job allowed me to and I kited almost every day it blew for about 5 yrs. My kids were very young. My wife was good with it saying as long as I was happy. I was a slave to the wind. Now that my daughter is gone and my son is about to go I regret all of the things I missed when they were young. All the soccer games and parties because the forecast was for wind. If I could do it all over again I would most certainly do it differently. I took a year or so off because I just got tired of all the bs. When My boys wanted to learn to kite I taught them. I kite a lot again but itys with my boys (it sucks teaching your kids btw). The moral of the story is enjoy you kids and spend as much time with them as you can. It goes by so quickly and you dont get it back. Kiting is going nowhere.
congratulations!
Mark

[Jono 111]

that's a very poignant post fourperf....thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom.

my kids are 7 and 5.....your post gave me pause for thought.

[fourperf]

that's a very poignant post fourperf....thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom.

my kids are 7 and 5.....your post gave me pause for thought.

Thank you Jono, you are welcome

[Westozzy]

Mine are 5 and 6 so not quite twins but they for all intensive purposes were, both in nappies etc.

With one child, not much changed, two and at the same time you have to accept it will.

When in nappies, on the milk, little sleep it will eat into your kiting if you plan to be a useful dad. Just accept that. But it does get easier and now I pretty much do as I please within reason.

I priories now. I work , I kite or I'm with family. Don't go to the pub with the boys etc. that's all gone now but I'm cool with that.

When at home be dad of the bloody year, help as much as possible.

Also true what one one says these years go quick, so don't miss them. Kiting will always be there. Also if my wife wants to go out at night with friends, go to Melbourne for a shopping trip I let her. No wind I give her my time.

Prioritise is the key. Some things will have to go.

Hey another thing, I showered with them from an early age every night. I also am the go to man for swimming or any pool, ocean activities. They attach water with dad. Get salt in their veins, they love the beach and want to holiday at the beach. This helps.

[MissionMan]

I have 3 kids. 4,6 and 8.

Life as you know it will change. That is for sure. prepair yourself for not much kiting the first 6 months.

However I think you need to make time to get out and have a session weekly. It might only be a very short session. rig up get wet throw a few jumps and go home.

So sessions will become shorter and your available window during the day might not match the ideal wind time. So you will find yourself kiting in all conditions.

Also you may notice a need to tone down the crazy. All of a sudden you have responserbility to keep working and provide and income. Plus when your ride time decreases you can't progress as much.... your skill level may even drop.

Enjoy.

The biggest mistake you are making is assuming people with kids don't kite because they don't have a choice. The reality is far different.

I have a 2 year old with another one on the way in Jan. The reality is you become far more selective about when you go out kiting because you don't want to miss time with your kids, not because you can't. I can ask my wife to take care of our daughter any time I want and go for a kite, the question is "any time I want" which is not as often as when I didn't have kids. Kids are amazing, they grow, they make you smile every time you are with them, and very soon you realise there is nothing you wouldn't do for them.

Your life of kiting 5 days a week are over, but you don't miss it. There are only a handful of days I've wanted to go kiting but couldn't because of family commitments, the rest I was at home by my own choice.

[longwhitecloud]

I think it was Jake Burton that said if you don't live at your favorite riding spot, you should do everything you can to change that. Awesome advice for OCD sufferers, less time traveling, less money in fuel, potentially more sessions, more free time for non kiting stuff, feel more relaxed knowing its on one min down the road, stay fit, keep healthy both body and mind staying active.

[tswierkocki]

Before kids I used to kite up to 5 days a week, constantly chasing wind. Now have 2 girls ages 2 and 6. The plan with my wife and I is that Wednesdays are kid free afternoons for me. It is not always windy on Wednesdays so I kite if there is wind, surf if there are waves, and then either mountain bike or standup paddle board if there is no wind or waves.

I also pick the best day of each month for either wind or waves and take a half off work. I get enough days off that I can put 5 vacation days a year aside for myself.

Also helps that I can surf, kite any wind direction, and mountain bike all within 15 minutes from home.

Every other available hour is spent with the family.