ttxela said:
With all this excellent parenting advice it's worth mentioning that it's all very hard to stick to and at some point you'll undoubtedly just feel like screaming at them and locking them in the cupboard under the stairs.
As my wife observed more than once after a specially desperate night with an incessantly crying infant, the wonder is not that child battering occurs, but that so few parents snap and do it!
bagpuss said:
Aside from the usual kids kit was wondering what people put their kids in to cave? Would quite like not to have to fork out for 'proper' kit straight away until I know it's something she's going to enjoy. I was thinking something along the lines of wet socks/wellis/waterproof trousers and maybe a cheapy boiler suit/coverall off ebay - along with my spare helmet and spare light of course.
Just need to decide where to take her on her first caving trip now..
For my eldest son's first trip, we used fleece and tracksuit bottoms under an oversuit but found that the fleece rode up and the tracksuit bottoms rode down, leaving an uncomfortable cold area in the middle. So we got him a furrysuit for his next trip. However I can understand that you are cautious about buying proper gear at age six as she might well not want to cave again, at least for a few years. I advise the sort of clothes you'd have her wear for a cool muddy day in the garden. If you select a substantially dry cave, you will be able to avoid waterproof trousers - they really impede movement and risk making the trip very uncomfortable for her. Take some spare clothes so you can add or remove layers according to temperature.
The type of cave passages you choose for trip are crucial. Boulders that adults can step over turn into a never-ending series of struggles for small children. Also, avoid passages with any holes in the floor.
As to which caves to consider, in south Wales Bridge cave is a good possibility - it was my younger son's first cave at age seven. He wore clothes as described above, and a very cheap pair of boots with normal socks. By dint of much effort he managed to keep his feet dry but gave me a succession of near heart attacks as he jumped from stone to stone. I really would advise buying her wet socks - cold wet feet can be utterly offputting. Bernies Cafe do a good range of children's kit; if you can't see her size on the website, try phoning, as not every size of children's keit is on the website even though it is stocked. Alternatively, look for wetsocks at surf and beach shops. If she does not wear wetsocks, I suggest you wear normal socks too, and wear footwear of the same height as her little wellies or boots, to ensure you are aware of how her little feet feel when they get cold and wet!
In Derbyshire, Giant's as far as the top of first pitch would be a good introductory trip for a six year old. My boys went as far as the end of the crabwalk in low water conditions when they were two years older.
I haven't caved on Mendip for many years and am too rusty to suggest potentially suitable caves.
Put a belt on her so you can easily krab a sling or two on if there is a location you need to assist her. You can always carry he rover wet bits - my ten year old has been pioggy-backed more than once over water that is just above knee deep to me but waist deep to him - he's a small child.
Take it all slowly and look at / point out everything. The first trip is less about distance covered than about experiencing a new environment. A mainly clean-washed mostly walking size (at least for her) cave would be better than a 'traditional' muddy beginners' grovelly cave. Take food and drink and stop frequently to keep her topped up with calories - just the novelty of a picnic by caplamp will be a special aspect for her.
