Sledding

Every activity is an opportunity to expand your child’s experiences and their circle of friends. Sledding is a bit more inclusive than you might imagine, especially since kids can go on the same sled with a buddy, sibling, or parent. By sledding with your child (as an example), you learn if they enjoy that activity. If they love sledding, as Mikey did, then you can join in group activities centered around sledding…just one more option that doesn’t require too much complex verbal interaction. So, the more you try, the broader your choices become.

The sledding we did with friends in this journal entry was at our local elementary school. It was an easy, gentle hill and had a safe flat area at the bottom to stop the kids slowly. Mikey could do this one by himself. He only needed help holding the sled still while he got on. He liked going on his own or with a friend. At the elementary school, there were lots of kids around so he hardly needed any help from me at all.

I just watched to make sure he wasn’t starting down the hill on a path that would collide with another kid. Mikey’s buddies (and Will) got very good at keeping a hand gently on Mikey’s shoulder until it was time for him to take his turn. They managed it for Michael and he was good about following their lead.

The sledding session with the cousins was a steeper hill and Mikey only did it with me once. It seemed like it was a little too fast for him, although he could not express that in words.  I was on the sled with him, and I could feel that he tensed up quite a bit and he wasn’t making his very happy sounds. Instead, he went totally quiet. I used those signs to make a guess that maybe the hill was too fast for him.

That said, he was happy to sit at the top of the hill with me, eat some snow and watch his cousins whiz down the path! If he had wanted to go again, he was capable of saying so. He could answer yes/no questions reliably, so I also asked if he wanted to go again and he confirmed, he did not.

For me, the three big take-aways from this journal entry are:

1. Every activity you try increases your child’s social options.
2. As you’re participating, observe your child for signs of distress and, if they’re able to answer, ask them how they’re doing.
3. Sometimes, just being a part of the group is fun, even if the activity is not really your thing.

One Idea:

I’d err on the side of caution with sledding locations.  Although the hill was steeper at my sister’s house, her kids had done it a million times and knew that there was plenty of flat area to stop at the bottom. Before letting your child sled alone, show them how to roll off, so they can stop whenever they want. Finally, supervise to make sure they are not sledding into other kids or getting plowed over by the next kid flying down the hill.

If you feel confident your child can safely participate…give it a try.