One of the coolest things about the OOFD community is how different folks are, and this is just as true of the family riders. Caregivers of all stripes join the ride – from proud helicopters to free rangers, all are welcome! We’re psyched to give all our caregiver riders a break from cooking and cleaning for a weekend of outdoor adventuring.
Diversity, though, brings the need for clarity. We can’t make assumptions about caregiving responsibilities when there are many different understandings of caregiving responsibilities. This blog post offers OOFD’s expectations of those responsibilities. These expectations aren’t intended to cramp anyone’s caregiving style, but rather, to ensure all adult riders – caregivers and adult guides – are operating under the same assumptions from the get go.
Eyes on Your Prize(s): All caregivers are expected to watch their kiddos throughout the weekend, including during the rides. If your child is younger or new to street riding, then it’s especially important to keep them near you as you ride. The guides have assigned roles to ensure no one gets too far ahead or behind the group; the sweep will go as slow as needed to ensure no family is alone – this means speedy caregivers will need to slow their pace to stick together, and zippy teens will need to dial it down, so slower parents can peek in on their older kiddos. If other caregivers are helping you wrangle your kids, please make sure that agreement is explicit before the ride begins.
At camp, we encourage the kids to bond and play as a group. If the campground has a lake or poison ivy patch, we encourage caregivers to congregate nearby to chat and hang within sight and hearing of the risky spot. If this responsibility is shared, then no one caregiver feels like the babysitter, which is quite the drag!
Safety: The Lead Guide will review the safety plan at the start of the ride. Once at camp, though, it’s important to remind your kiddos of campfire safety and etiquette. The firekeeper guide will do this, too, but knowing in advance makes this work easier.
Openness Opps: If this isn’t your kiddo’s first adventure, encourage them to befriend a new kid-rider! They can show the newbies the best spots for finding kindling or climbing trees, how to cook that marshmallow to perfect doneness – all the important things! Kids are welcome to organize games, too, – blob tag, anyone? – but we ask for them to include everyone who wants to participate. It’s a cool opportunity for kids to build community!
*Please reference our Adaptive Sports Abuse Prevention Policy One-Pager here for more information on guide touch, alcohol use at camp, and other safety policies.
