Stumbled across this blog posting with a video of a guy struggling to get a baby stroller across a rocky stream bed. It’s shot from behind, and looks like a totally bumpy ride; you can occasionally see a leg flopping out from one side or the other. When it’s all over the child in the stroller is still fast asleep.
Amusing? No.
Reckless, stupid, poor-parenting, self-absorbed?
Yup.
I think you’re being a little harsh… the dad was being very careful and there wasn’t much water in the stream (now if he were 50 yards from a waterfall, that’d be stupid).
Tom,
Haven’t you ever slipped on a rock that seemed perfectly safe? I’d hate to see that little bundle of joy crashing into the water or rocks.
Although you’re probably right, since nothing actually happened, we’ll presume it was safe. But if something would have happened, any parent would rue the day they made the crossing.
Point taken…
I would note, however, one of the points the author of “Last Child in the Woods” harps on is how parents have become overcautious in regards to their kids, compared to parents of previous generations.
Even w/the stroller and the rocky stream crossing they are at least getting their kind out in the woods.
To me, it appears like the crossing was much more dangerous for the father. I was half cheering for him to go in the drink head first about half way across. I’ve made this error before when we went on a hike in NC after a decent snowfall. The stroller didn’t like the hills and roots very much and it about wore me out. The stroller appears to have some “all terrain tires” on it. Besides, the kid is strapped in and surrounded by aluminum bars. I’d almost promise you that this Dad will do what I did and buy a kid backpack the next day and get rid of that stupid stroller.
Yeah, I would say the backpack idea makes much more sense. I just have visions of the stroller turning over, getting wedged under a rock and tragedy ensuing.
Of course, I’m a mother. My stock-in-trade is worrying about the never-gonna-happen’s in life. 😉
When my son was younger I used both an all terrain jogger (16″ tires) and a Kelty backpack carrier. And you know what? The only time I ever did anything dumb was when he was 4 years old, and I decided I could carry him on my hip, while crossing a stream. The pack or stroller would have been WAY safer. We did maybe 1500 miles of hiking with the jogger stroller, and yes, we did streams-often with the stroller being picked up and carried across. But note, we never went across, say, glacial outbursts. The kid is quite safe in that stroller indeed.
And that stream crossing I mentioned? Yeah, couple steps in I hit slime covered rocks, my foot went into up to my knees between rocks, I fell, and I dropped my kid into the stream. We survived, just both bruised, wet and cold. We hiked fast afterwards to warm up. Had he been in a pack, my balance wouldn’t have been compromised.
The kid of course still hikes and backpacks with me. He is nearly 10 now. You can either leave them at home or get out there. Get out there is of course the prime option!
The kid was still asleep when Dad got him to the other side.