Well, I'm gonna credit nojobro and her Namekagon paddle with our family for inching me forward with my eldest in terms of acknowledging her love of an outdoor life.

A year ago, my daughter (dd1) claimed that it was only ME that liked camping and paddling and BW stuff... Then after last Fall's BW trip, she acknowledged liking CAMPING, but not canoeing.

Well - drum roll please... tonight she acknowledged liking PADDLING, ... but not portaging. One week after our paddled on the Namekagon. WAHOO!!!

This is a HUGE step and I credit the Namekagon trip where she was mostly in the stern of a canoe with nojobro's daughter. I think the combination of river paddling (ie easy) and being in a boat with a NON-sibling partner, helped her feel confident and successful and enjoy it.

It is actually a joy to watch her paddle by instinct. She does a great job with little real training. She and nojobro's oldest were leading the pack of four canoes much of the way. My kiddo even admitted a bit of competetiveness and acknowledged enjoying being in front of us all - very strange for a kiddo who's never played sports or "competed" in anything in other areas of life.

Now - I'm gonna pair her up with a male peer on this next BW trip so she can strut her stuff and hopefully feel even better about her skills. I can't wait!

Thanks Nola!!

Congrats. I'm looking forward to hearing more about how it all ends up. What age range is dd1?

I, too, thought she did a great job and I know B liked being up there in front, too.

612er, our eldest daughters are both 13.

Yes, dd1 took her first BW trip at 11 months. Many trips and many smiles later, she entered the "tween years" and all of a sudden claimed NOT to like our BW trips... "ever!".

I knew that was a "tween thing" and likely said just to prove she was her own person, and could have separate likes and dislikes from dad and mom's. But still, painful to hear coming out of my own child.

Ever so slowwwwwwly, we've been making progress and acknowledging what I've known all along - that she does feel better in nature and has a deep-seated appreciation for all things Nature. This child cried buckets as a pre-schooler when some trees in our neighborhood were cut down (wanted to call the police)... and informed me at an early age that "deer just want to to live their own life", etc.

But given so many parents that post here that they cannot get their teens to paddle with them, I was worried about this transition.

I made some key changes - permitting friends to come along to BW; paddling out earlier than planned in one case to spend time in the northwoods but not in the BW; trying to let kids in on the planning, etc.

Same child wanted to know if she could bring a friend on this month's BW trip (we're already bringing a family of 3 with us). I said no, but that either of my other two BW trips were open for her to bring this friend... the next two trips are totally optional for all kids, this one this month is mandatory. She said "Can I do both?". I said "sure" and turned my head to hide my smile.

I'm not so worried any more :)

I didn't have time before to do more than a quick reply.

I'm glad she's coming around, though I'm not really sure what I had to do with it. :) Now I just need to try to follow your example with my eldest. I think giving them control is something that really helps. I'm hoping that next year on our BW trip, I will paddle solo, and B will paddle bow with John in the stern, and Linnea will ride in the middle. I hate adding one more thing to portage, but let's face it...we won't fit into a 3-man after this year. And she could try the solo, too, if the conditions are fair.

Wellll... you asked if one of my kids would paddle with B. That gave me the idea that paddling with a friend is much different than a sibling. And Phantom so graciously took off the one canoe and put on the rack for 2 and loaded them up (after all that indecision)... and it really really was the first time she has stated that she liked paddling.

Could have also been the river (ie easy). But now she's saying "I'd rather paddle 6 miles across a big lake than do a portage"... which is different than "I'd rather stay home and read than come canoeing".

Woot!

Ahhh, I have so much to look forward to in 12.5 years when my daughter hits the tweener years. Tears and smiles...tears and smiles...

Nice to hear that your daughter is figuring things out BWPaddler!