I should add a note that it wasn't all roses and bouquets for me as a mom with two of my kids so committed to climbing. There were times I greatly resented the amount of time it took up and the fact that our family vacation money every year was used to travel to competitions in nearby states and to a different national location each year, since one of them made it that far every year. And I worried what the stress of that kind of training and competition would do to their psyche over time.
But looking back on it in hindsight as I see my daughter, almost 20, and son, 17, move on to college, I can see the benefits. I've come to understand that gifted kids need more on their plate and can handle more than most. What seemed overwhelming for me wasn't for them.
