I Live With Monkeys
My kids climb. There are days when I’m fairly certain Zoe has been upside down more than right side up. Kinsley spent a good portion of her infancy snuggled in baby carriers and must have grown used to the elevation. She’s been seeking out high places since she could move.
On land, I had a simple solution, take the kids outside to the swing set. If the weather was nasty I could send them to the basement to bounce on the trampoline or swing on the rings. Oddly enough, Goblin doesn’t have a yard or a basement but I still have two monkeys. Fortunately, boats are strong.
The rule for Zoe is, “don’t hang on anything with hinges.” Grab rails, counter edges, hatch openings, and the boom are all fair game. She’s even added her own version of balance beam to her standard set of antics.
Kinsley is slightly more restricted. My rule has always been that you can climb onto or hang from only what you can get to. I’m not going to lift my kids up to the top of the monkey bars, they will get there when they can. She’s located the grab rail in my room and hangs as long as her arms will hold her. The cockpit cushions allow head stands and there’s enough room in the salon for sumersaults.
Yup, monkeys. Remind me to buy more bananas.
- Joy Weiss