Facebook Photo of Woman Rock Climbing with 2-year-old Causes Stir

[joeybee12]

?w=182

A single mother from Wales has caused somewhat of a firestorm by posting a photo of herself rock climbing with her two-year-old daughter strapped to her back. They’re pretty high up a rock face, and the woman is wearing a helmet — but not the kid. Take Your Daughter to Work Day?

Our Mom of the Year is Menna Pritchard, 26, and she has a perfectly logical explanation. From the London Daily Mail:

“I can appreciate if you didn’t realize how safe the environment I was in, it could be worrying, but I was top-roping which means if you fall you don’t fall any further than where you came off.

“It is the safest form of climbing you can do. I was also in a beach environment surrounded by experienced climbers. Health and safety legislation and the sue and blame culture mean so many people are nervous, so afraid of getting into trouble, and taking small risks. Life is all about risks, whether that’s something as simple as getting in your car every day or climbing up a rock face.”

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2012/01/31/woman-goes-rock-climbing-with-toddler-strapped-to-her-back-surprisingly-some-have-a-problem-with-this/related/

[MadHound]

1. Yeah, nothing could go wrong, at least not until something does go wrong

Stupidity, perhaps working on being a bi-generational Darwin award winner.

[zipplewrath]

2. You realize that's not THE photo right?

Can't figure out why they used that one, and then point separately to the photo of the kid.

[Brickbat]

3. Thanks for posting that. I had a hard time getting outraged about the first one.

This one, however -- yikes.

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. yikes.

[joeybee12]

7. Thanks...yeah, the one they had I just assumed what I thought

was her hair was the baby...this one makes it look incredibly dangerous...ever hear of daycare?

[LiberalFighter]

8. The woman is reckless.

To suggest that because she is top roping or whatever the term makes it safe is ludicrous. I don't see anything to suggest that if she loses her grip and ends up dangling that the jolt would not cause the kid to come loose or she bounces off of the cliff with the kid between them.

They probably don't provide helmets or make them small enough for kids. For a good reason. Rock climbing of any type is not safe for kids.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. I'm not familiar with that type of apparatus. Is there any chance that a child

could climb out of one of those things? I don't see any kind of restraint on the child, not to mention no protective gear.

Also, wouldn't having that much weight on your back change your center of gravity and make a fall more likely? If she did fall, is she likely to twist around in a manner that would cause the child to come into contact with the rock surface?

It may be safe, but my maternal instincts say it doesn't look safe at all.

[AtomicKitten]

22. Interesting that mom sports a helmet but the toddler does not.

[zipplewrath]

31. Probably 80% of the problem

Falling rock is not an uncommon occurance and the baby would have little if any ability to protect themselves in anyway. Vastly minor concerns are if the mother does slip a bit and end up rotating 180 degrees, hitting the childs head against the rock wall. Also, if the kid became hysterical, there could be some problems and the kid hits/pulls/pokes the mother in the head.

Basically, without knowledge of what was going on, it really doesn't look like a good idea.

[muriel_volestrangler]

36. It depends on how much the route has been climbed

It's limestone; while that can have a fair amount of loose rock on routes that are infrequently climbed, those that are very popular get fairly well cleared of loose stone. There's a good chance someone climbed the route right before she did, to set up the top rope (and take the photo), so they may have known it was clean. Having said that, if she and the belayer in the red helmet thought it was worth wearing helmets, they must think there's some chance of a rock being dislodged.

I agree there's an insignificant chance of her rotating dangerously through 180 degrees. It doesn't look sheer, and even if she were suddenly knocked unconscious, she'd graze against the rock as she slid a foot or two. Infant backpacks tend to have a decent back to them too, so I think that would touch the rock first if she did twist somehow.

[seabeyond]

60. that picture doesnt belong in OP, this one does. kid doesnt have a helmet, and doesnt look securely

in whatever he is in, and WOW, i am bothered. though i hate heights and did even at a very very young age, i can remember back to 3,4 going hiking on an incline, this really bothers me.

no helmet for the kid for falling rocks and the mom and supposed dad have a helmet.

wow

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. LOL

[joeglow3]

13. And?

Who cares about smoking tobacco around the child?

Would people rather her skydiving with her child?





Who cares about skydiving with her child?

Would people rather her shooting guns with her child?




Hey, this game is fun!!!

[Broderick]

14. OK

I found your post amusing, but in reality what is worse is if she was pictured with her kid and the kid had GASP



A happy meal.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. No. It would have been worse if

she was breast feeding.

[AmericaIsGreat]

26. Talk about a non sequitur

Rock climbing with a child on your back is STUPID, no matter how experienced you are. How is that not obvious?

[Snake Alchemist]

41. Same thing I say when see evidence of wife or child abuse. nt

[Nye Bevan]

55. I guess you're right. The kid is clearly having a *wonderful* time.

I take it all back.

In fact, tomorrow I'm going to go out to buy a helmet to protect my own brain, strap my kids onto my back and dangle from a rope off a fucking rock face.

[Snake Alchemist]

58. It's none of my business either way. nt

[treestar]

76. Isn't there some limit to "mind your own business?"

We don't want to see this kid get hurt. Poor kid has a crazy mother. We're afraid for this kid. That's compassion.

[treestar]

92. No, she spied on silly little things

And wanted to know all about her neighbors.

I didn't seek any information out about the lady. She drew attention to herself with her antics.

[treestar]

95. Child doesn't really know what is going on.

The child may not be scared, because the child does not know to be scared. We do.

[AmericaIsGreat]

105. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE CHILD FEELS

THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHETHER THE CHILD IS AFRAID OR DOESN'T LIKE IT OR NOT.

THIS IS ABOUT THIS BEING DANGEROUS. THE CHILD IS TWO YEARS OLD, STRAPPED TO AN AMATEUR ROCK CLIMBER'S BACK WITH NO PROTECTIVE GEAR. THIS IS ABOUT MANY THINGS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GO WRONG AND END IN THE CHILD'S DEATH.

Stop being a F'ING IDIOT.

[AmericaIsGreat]

99. What the hell does it matter how the child is taking it?

IT'S A TWO YEAR OLD. You cannot be serious with this shit.

[Nye Bevan]

46. That's the attitude that enables child abuse to go unpunished.

That kid on the street who is always bruised or has a black eye? From whose house we often hear yelling, screaming and crying? Well, it's not MY problem. I will "mind my own business", thank you very much.

[arely staircase]

82. the danger free sport! nt

[AmericaIsGreat]

98. It ISN'T my problem you twit

I am simply making a comment on it. STRAPPING A 2 YEAR OLD TO YOUR BACK WHILE ROCK CLIMBING IS DANGEROUS AND STUPID. Have you ever been rock climbing? The line, harness, and even carabiners can fail, even if they are being used 100% properly. If that happens, that child is not only going to suffer impact from the ground but be crushed by its own mother.

The kid is not wearing ANY protective gear and could fall out of the harness from her back as well.

Not to mention the child isn't even going to REMEMBER this. How fucking STUPID are you?

Let me guess, you're the mom? Idiot.

[2ndAmForComputers]

37. Trying hard to write a response that's accurate and will not get this post hidden.

Failing.

[arely staircase]

81. and since those are her only two choices - she went with rockclimbing. nt

[arely staircase]

87. maybe she can ride bulls with the kid next. or go to spain and let bulls chase the two of them

or just chase the kid. i hear juggling chainsaws with your children is quite the bonding experience too.

[arely staircase]

90. pretty sure you have as many posts on this thread as i do

so i guess that makes us pretty much even on the yammering.

but since you asked, i like to take my nieces to the ocean, chum the water with blood and swim. good times.

and you? got any hobbies?

[dembotoz]

5. if properly strapped in etc etc

not exactly climbing mt everest there.....


i have seen parents do stupider things....

good thing there was not facebook when my kids were younger.

i can remember on a couple of occasions returning home with one of the boys to hear the exasperated--You did WHAT with my son????? from their mom

[joeybee12]

9. Well, the woman seems to think it's dangerous enough to wear a helmet...

But not her kid.

[obamanut2012]

71. Yeah, the lack of a helmet is a dealbreaker for me

Otherwise, I'm not really outraged, depending on what route the woman is climbing, and how she's climbing.

[Patrick_Bateman]

11. Her child,

her rules. If she is not breaking any laws, leave it alone.

[gratuitous]

12. ZOMG! Call child protective services right fucking now!

Of course, those pencil pushers didn't take it very seriously at all when I reported that woman with her baby in a stroller. I mean, the kid didn't have a helmet on, the stroller could have rolled into traffic at any moment if the woman didn't keep her hands on the handles and they were on an incline, and the stroller wasn't even bubble-wrapped! Despite my busybody concerns, CPS declined to whisk the child away to foster care and toss the woman in the clink. I was outraged. OUTRAGED I tells ya!

[arely staircase]

88. good point - riding in a stroller and dangling from a cliff are identical

in terms of risk.

[hunter]

15. Our two year olds always went rock climbing by themselves.

They were little runaway monkeys.

It's damned amazing ***I*** as a parent survived.

I guess I deserved it. My mom tells me how she was gardening one day and looked up and saw her dear little two year old Hunter peering down at her from the edge of the roof. I remember that too, climbing up the porch trellis and feeling quite pleased with myself. I also clearly remember what raw fresh-from-the-garden pill bugs, earthworms, and escargot taste like...

The reason my wife and I didn't keep our kids in playpens or cribs is that we couldn't. My mom bought us a nice crib for our oldest. I think the third time we heard the "THUNK!!!" of a kid leaping (or controlled falling...) onto a wooden floor, well that was that. The crib was useless. Kids want to sleep with us, kids will sleep with us. It's either that or a cage.

The weirdest thing is I sometimes dream I'm a gibbon, flinging myself through the trees. That's the single reason I would approve of building I giant moonbase. I want a public park on the moon with a jungle so I can swing through the trees chasing flying chickens. I think the chickens would enjoy flying as much as I enjoyed swinging through the trees.

wikipedia

[bemildred]

18. Yah, I liked trees, and roofs. Still like roofs. nt

[Fumesucker]

16. I wonder if they drove to the spot where the photo was taken?

If so then the trip was probably at least as dangerous as the climb for the child..

[Nye Bevan]

69. YES I am so inconsistent and capricious.

I am prepared to secure my 2-year old child in a Government approved car seat and drive her carefully to Grandma's house.

But I am not prepared to put on a helmet to protect myself, strap my helmetless 2-year old to my back, and haul her fifty feet up a fucking rock face dangling from a rope.

Makes no sense.

[Fumesucker]

79. Driving is by far the most dangerous activity most of us engage in..

Since it's a common thing for people to do though they discount the risk.

And no matter how carefully you may drive it's impossible to drive carefully for all the other cars on the road, I've had my car hit from behind three times in my life, twice hard enough to total the car, none of those collisions was in any way avoidable by me only pure chance kept me and my passengers from serious injury or death.

Our perceptions of risk rarely have much to do with actual risk involved in various activities.

[Nye Bevan]

80. It doesn't necessarily follow that

extreme helmetless toddler sheer rock-face dangling-from-a-rope mountain climbing is the greatest idea ever.

[Fumesucker]

83. I personally wouldn't do it..

I've worked at heights and they don't particularly bother me but it's not something I seek out..

And I never claimed it was the greatest idea ever, just that the drive to get there in the first place was a risk that was going totally ignored because most of us never even think about it.

70 mph is 102 feet per second, the equivalent of a fall from 150 feet or so, most of us have driven faster than that and thought little of it, fiddling with the stereo, adjusting the heat, talking on the phone, looking at ourselves in the mirror, texting for Tebow's sake.

[treestar]

97. Driving is necessary

Rock climbing is just a hobby.

Each risk is weighed with its benefits.

The thrills of rock climbing are only worth so much risk - this kid climbing himself properly supervised at the age of 8 might be OK - the back carrying thing is much different.

Was it that hard to get a babysitter?

[Nye Bevan]

17. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What if a rock above comes loose and falls on the child's head?

I guess that's why the mother is wearing a helmet. But the child isn't. If this is not "endangering the welfare of a child", I don't know what is.

I suppose stupidity like this has always existed. But now stupid people seem to feel the need to broadcast their stupidity on Facebook.

[trumad]

19. Reminds me of this.

[Nye Bevan]

21. Here's another

[TeeYiYi]

38. omg! but for that red arrow...

...I almost missed it.

TYY

[seabeyond]

61. wow. wow. geez/ the picture of the rock climbing isnt the right one. the second poster in thread

put up the right picture.

[metalbot]

68. Having lived in southeast asia

I can assure you that the motorcycle above can easily accommodate 2 more children.

[titaniumsalute]

20. I have two thoughts

The first is that if the kid is strapped in AND the woman is harnassed properly, it is fairly safe. I mean come on...driving with a kid in the car on the I-95 highway in NYC, NJ, DC, Miami, etc. is probably more dangerous and deadly. I see stupid assed parents letting their toddlers hold 2,000 degree sparklers on July 4th, most parents let their kids eat fucking garbage like soda, pop tarts, fast food, etc.

Second, I do think that it is our job as parents to not put kids in harm's way. I do professional fireworks displays for a living. I have a 13 year old who could work on a firing sie (it's illegal so obviously he doesn't) and probably do a great ob helping out. But even if it were legal i wouldn't let him help because it is putting him into a risky position.

[Snake Alchemist]

23. "she can just make another one"

Seems to be the vein of many of the responses in this thread.

[Yavin4]

24. In India, I Saw Entire Families Riding One Motorcycle with No Helmets

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. Developing countries have started to educate people about safety... Encouraging them to wear helmets

it will take a few years for other countries to catch up with the west with respect to safety on the road.

[obamanut2012]

72. Check out the rate of vehicle fatalities in India

For real -- it's insane.

Ireland is also very high, btw.

[yellowcanine]

27. "Life is all about risks," Yes and adults should not be making risky choices for children who have

no say in the matter. Also this woman is an idiot. She says the fall would only be "as far as where you came off" - but what if she spins around and pins her baby between herself and the rock? Or what if the baby somehow falls out of the back pack? Or what if a rock gets dislodged above the woman and bounces off the baby's head. The woman should be charged with child endangerment. Children are not property and they are not toys.

[ecstatic]

30. I saw a bunch of people with babies and toddlers climbing Stone Mountain

I think that's child abuse! One little girl was crying because she was tired and didn't want to continue.

[Nye Bevan]

35. Isn't "climbing Stone Mountain" more like walking up a gentle trail?

As opposed to clinging to a rock face with ropes?

[CRK7376]

32. As an old climber

it's not something I would do, but....top roping is about as safe as you can get on or near a rockface. I have top roped my own kids climbing adventures from about when they were 6yo up. Two like climbing, one does not. I would not strap somebody on my back and haul them up the rockface, I have enough work hauling my fat self up without pulling along another.

[rawbean]

34. Darwin

We can't hold him off forever. lol on ''safe'' civilization.

[NoodleyAppendage]

42. Let natural selection take care of it.

Either her stupidity genes will pass on or not...odds favor the latter.

J

[oldhippie]

43. We should all be locked in a rubber room .....

.. and only allowed outside for actions that are deemed to be a safe activity for the betterment of all mankind.

I'll decide what those activities are.

[LisaL]

44. Well

the mother herself got a helmet on. The child doesn't.

[Luminous Animal]

45. Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States

I suggest ya'll stop driving with your children.

[Nye Bevan]

47. Sorry. It is fucking STUPID to put on a helmet to protect yourself, strap your 2 year old kid on

your back, unhelmeted, and climb up a fucking rock face dangling on a rope. Driving deaths have nothing to do with it. And the poor kid was scared shitless.

[tabasco]

51. Yeah, no helmet for the kid.

Tough luck if mommy mashes your skull agianst the rocks.

[muriel_volestrangler]

59. What makes you think the child was 'scared shitless'?

She's fine in the picture; and there's nothing in the story about it.

[Nye Bevan]

63. "Fine"? Let's take an example.

This would be "fine":



This would be "not fine":

[muriel_volestrangler]

64. You think children have a permanent grin on their faces?

Yes, the girl was fine:

'I was at Three Cliffs with a group of friends and Ffion started saying she wanted to go on my back while I climbed.

'I discussed it with my friends, we decided it was safe so I gave it a go.

'We were about ten metres off the ground when the picture was taken.

'Ffion was saying "up mummy, up", but by the time we were half away up the route I felt we'd gone far enough and the belayer lowered me down to the ground.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9053382/Mother-scaled-rock-face-with-two-year-old-daughter-strapped-to-back.html

[Nye Bevan]

65. My guess is that "up mummy up" meant that she wanted to be picked up and hugged,

as opposed to being strapped helmetless to the mother's back and hauled fifty feet up a fucking rock face dangling from a rope.

And even if your 2 year old kid *does* request to go mountain climbing with no helmet on a sheer rock face, you don't necessarily *have* to give in to her demands. Part of being a parent is knowing when to say "no".

[muriel_volestrangler]

66. My guess is a mother knows her child better than your guess

The basic question is whether there was any loose rock on the climb that could have been dislodged and hit them. The mother says it was a clean route, and she just put her own helmet on out of habit. Could be - a lot of people climb without helmets on clean routes; though I'd say personally that putting on a climbing helmet is never just a 'habit'. They're too annoying, especially on sunny days.

[Nye Bevan]

67. Perhaps I'm an overprotective parent.

But I'm not 100% convinced that this "helmetless toddler sheer rock-face mountain climbing" sport is really going to catch on.

[Snake Alchemist]

74. I usually do not buckle up my kids if I know we're going to be on the back roads where there is not

much traffic. They like to sit up up front on the middle console so they can see the road. A lot of fun for all.

[bluedigger]

93. This was the final straw for me.

Not only did she expose her child to needless, if minor, risk by hauling her along on a recreational climb, but she uses the child as the excuse. Can she not say, "No"?

And for everybody who thinks top belaying is perfectly safe, it isn't. It depends on equipment and human performance. Of the two I trust the equipment more. I watched a belayer drop the rope and step away once when a repeller lost their brake hand. The belayer didn't want to be fallen on. Well, they weren't, and the repeller broke several ribs, a leg, and a hip.

[obamanut2012]

73. The child doesn't look scared at all

I do, however, think the child should have been wearing a helmet.

[seabeyond]

62. that is crazy isnt it. i cant stop looking at this. nt

[LanternWaste]

75. Almost as stupid as strapping a two year...

Almost as stupid as strapping a two year old into child seat, unhelmeted, and drive a two ton machine at 65 mph.

And of course we may attribute and interpret any emotion to and from the child in the seat we believe will better reinforce our own position.

[TwilightGardener]

77. Because we don't need cars to get places. We just drive for shits and giggles. Rock climbing, now

THAT'S a necessary activity. How else would mom have made it up that cliff face to the doctor's office or supermarket?

[Nye Bevan]

78. YES. Because securing a child in a Government approved child safety car seat,

Last edited Wed Feb 1, 2012, 04:09 PM - Edit history (2)

and driving carefully to Grandma's house in a car equipped with front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, reinforced side sills, rigid passenger safety cells and crumple zones, is PRECISELY the same as putting on a helmet to protect myself, strapping my helmetless 2-year old to my back, and hauling her fifty feet up a fucking rock face dangling from a rope.

Excellent analogy.

[TwilightGardener]

49. But driving serves a purpose--it's a necessity for many Americans.

I can't think of what might be so necessary about rock climbing that you must take your child with you on your back with no helmet.

[TwilightGardener]

48. Well, she's a dingbat.

[tabasco]

50. If they're top-roping

it's safe enough.

Edit: Now that I see the pic of the moron with the baby strapped on her back, it's pretty stupid.

[nadinbrzezinski]

54. Yes, that is the safest form of rock climbig

with somebody on belay... I would not worry too much quite honestly.

That is unless the safety line has not been checked properly, cleaned properly, et al.

But yup, I've done that...

And in rescue I have done that with people strapped to stretchers. Granted we used a working line and a safety line. But hey... it is the safest form you can do. In that she is correct.

[Nye Bevan]

57. Did you wear a helmet? If so, why? (nt)

[obamanut2012]

70. If the child had a helmet on

I would be on the fence about this, and there would be alot of, "well, ifs." But, without a helmet? Hell no.

[Rockholm]

102. I don't see any strapped on kid.

[Nye Bevan]

104. Here