Parents of "Thrill seekers" - how do you cope?

[transparant]

My youngest is 5 and man is this kid the ultimate thrill seeker! He thrives on doing physically dangerous things and always challenges himself to do more physically challenging things everytime he succeeds with something. Yesterday I went outside to find him about 35 ft. up in a big pine tree and climbing higher. He had a rope attached to him that he got from the shed and made a harness out of it - once he reached the top - he wanted to scale down the tree!

He's been like this since he could walk. Every grey hair I have I can attribute it to him! LOL!

Does anyone else have a huge adventuresome and thrill seeking child?

 

[#1hockeymom]

My second is exactly how you describe your son. We put ours in hockey hoping he'd be too tired to do anything else! On the positive side, he's never ever been afraid of any Disney rides, either!

Good luck!
Debbie

 

[bigbabyblues]

My youngest DS is like this, but he's only 2 right now........

 

[luvmydogs]

I do--my ds10. I was still taking him into our bathroom here at home with me when he was four--I couldn't trust him to be alone for the 20 seconds it took me to pee.

I had to have surgery for a bleeding stomach ulcer three years ago....Coincidence?!?!

 

[christineann]

And they usually don't grow out of it. My 20 year old has always enjoyed whitewater kayaking, and now he is into rapelling, jumping off of waterfalls, yard-yakking (cruising down an embankment into a stream) and major whitewater stuff. And he is going to be a police officer when he graduates (has already tackled a drug dealer and was issued his own bullet proof vest some years ago because he goes on so many ride-alongs). I'm not sure if he is safer at school or on the street!

 

[mom2boys]

I have one. He has managed to survive 10.5 yrs so far. Some days it's more like we've allowed him to survive 10.5 yrs. I can't begin to tell you the grey hairs he's given me. He still needs close supervison since he is now into "inventions".
BTW - he is also set on a career in law enforcement. When he was a toddler is was apparent that he would end up on one side of the law or the other. We are working to make sure it's the right side of the law.

ETA: I've found that I have to keep him busy. He just started wrestling last month. He loves it - and they keep him on tha mat for two hours straight. He is exhausted when he is finished. Soccer is good for him too. As long as he's moving, he's happy which means I'm happy.

 

[Tiggeroo]

my one 18yo has been like this all his life. We tried hockey. It helped some. He was still building bike and skateboard ramps in his spare time and skating down any railing or wall he could find. He surfs and that is a big worry. He's currently planning a trip to Hawaii to visit some friends there and surf. I want him to go in the spring or summer when waves aren't so big. Haha.
We just had a big talk because I think his risk taking is spilling into driving to fast. In high school he took up distance running. This really did help. He's too tired to do too much craziness. Also he doesn't want to get hurt doing something non-running during the season so he doesn't do so much ramp stuff. He likes to surf during hurricanes, nor-easters. I just asked dh last night when i'd stop worrying so much and he laughed. He thinks that will be when they start worrying on their own about things.

 

[luvmydogs]

It's funny, my ds wants to be an FBI agent. If there's a thrill-seeker/law enforcement connection, at least we're all on the right side of the law.

 

[bsnyder]

Yep, I've got one of those....he went skydiving to celebrate his high school graduation. He had already turned 18, and used his own money, so I didn't have a choice in the matter.

How do I cope? I say prayers and just refuse to worry about it obsessively.

 

[transparant]

We have Luke in Hockey also. He's been playing for a year now (since he was 4!). Funny you guys mention law enforcement...He insists he's going to be a marine (actually he thinks he already is one - He givews a loud "OORAH" to every Marine he meets!).

I swear he makes my heart stand still with fear at times!

 

[#1hockeymom]

If it makes you feel any better we've been to the emergency room more times with his 19 year old "safe" "responsible", and "calm" sister than we have for him! I think God passes out the strong bones to his daredevils! I don't even want to think about driving. I worry enough when he's up north on his quad!

 

[Cindy B]

My son has been like since the day one!

He broke his one arm doing gymnastics at age three, he then broke another arm at age 6 doing gymnastics again.

He also has an adventorous streak. He loves thrill rides and coasters. He rides all the thrilling rides without a care. This is a kid that thought the tallest fastest coaster in the world was "boring". (I actually thought it was boring as well.)

 

[Chris2597]

Oh yeah....My almost 20 yr old ds is like this and has been since he was a little guy....Up until a couple of years ago he either wanted to be a Navy Seal, Police officer, fire figther. However, now he is "finding himself"....
He was also into BMX racing, trick bike riding, building the ramps (huge) in the lot behind our house....He has fessed up now that he is older that he came home a couple times when he was in his early teens with what he described as a concussion from falling off of things, being knocked out for a few minutes, waking and not remembering what happened...His friends would get him home... He says, he just slept it off....That is the scary part about these kids....they take everything to the limit and walk that ragged edge.
I have noticed the closer he gets to 20, the more he seems to have slowed this behavour down...