Did your parents know you went skydiving your first time?

[orangechicken 0]

Okay, so I'm 20 years old and I really want to do a tandem then an AFF jump.

The only thing holding me back is that my parents are against it, regardless of statistics, and I completely understand - If I flipped the script, I wouldn't let my kid go either. It feels odd going against my parents' wishes.

Did your parents approve of your first time?

[wmw999 2,289]

I was self-sufficient, so it wasn't an issue. Because of that, I told them, and my mother came to watch. She said that if I was going to die, she wanted to be there

I was also 20 at the time.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[lookoutbelow 0]

My first was a static line when I was 19. I didn't tell anyone I was going. Just went and did it. If I had been living with my parents, I probably would have told them before I did it, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have tried to stop me or explicitly told me not to. I'm sure they would have voiced concerns, but nothing beyond that.

[likestojump 3]

If you are still sucking on your parents tit, and prefer to keep doing so, then I suggest you either don't tell them, or get them to be ok with it.

If you are independant, then I strongly advise you to let them know that you are doing it and they are welcome to watch or hate you.

I was 20 when I did my first jump. I told my mom about it. I also rode to the DZ on a motorcycle that I bought when I turned 18 my senior year of high school, against my mother's wishes.

[Trafficdiver 8]

Quote

Okay, so I'm 20 years old and I really want to do a tandem then an AFF jump.

The only thing holding me back is that my parents are against it, regardless of statistics, and I completely understand - If I flipped the script, I wouldn't let my kid go either. It feels odd going against my parents' wishes.

Did your parents approve of your first time?

Are you living for them or are you living for you?

My only regret is that I didn't start when I was 20.

[Southern_Man 0]

I was almost 40 when I went for the first time, so it just never occurred to me to tell them before I went.

Just as an alternate viewpoint, though, I saw a young woman come out just after her 18th birthday to do a tandem and wind up having to go to the hospital. She came with a friend but they had not told her parents. I would hate to be on the other end of that phone call.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[DcloudZ 0]

Have a serious talk with your (hopefully) mature parents. Don't talk about statistics or anything, just say that this is something that really interests you and that you are going to go ahead with it with or without your blessing. Tell them that it would mean a lot to you if they supported you on this adventure
Hope for the best!

Hell I dragged my dad along to do our first tandem together and I did my second tandem with my mom! She also did another tandem with me after I got my A license, so we rode the plane up together

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

[DaVincisEnvy 0]

I told my parents.

After I got on the ground. At the time, I was 19 years old and spending the summer half a continent away, so my parents were simultaneously quite supportive of my independence and completely unable to do anything about it.

To be fair, though, I started jumping off the roof of the garage at the age of 5 and had told them since the age of 10 that I was going to go skydiving, so while the timing may have been a bit of a surprise, the act itself definitely was not.

Talk to your parents if you think they'll come around. If you think they'll never support it, consider whether taking up this sport is worth possibly damaging that relationship and how much damage it could cause. Your call.

[dthames 0]

My 77 year old mother told me "If there is something you want to do, do it while you still feel up to it. I did 2 jumps and told her in a normal conversation a few days later. I was 54, last Oct when I started.

I would suggest you do your best to calmly try to bring them over to some type of approval.

As someone already said, if out are depending on them for money or housing, I would suggest you not go against their wishes. it is a matter of respect and courtesy. Sort of hard to expect them to treat you as an adult if you are a dependent.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[devildog 0]

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My only regret is that I didn't start when I was 20.

I think that at times, but then a large part of me is glad I didn't. I'd have probably killed myself, to be honest.

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[jzzsxm 0]

I didn't tell my parents when I went. It was during the summer between sophomore and junior year in college. I was home for the summer and went out with friends to do it.

Best part? I had a malfunction and a reserve ride, so when I got home the first thing I said to my parents was
"Guess what the phrase of the day is!"

"What?"

"Well, it's a good thing we have two parachutes!"

They were good natured about it and generally of the mindset that, at this point in my life, I can make my own decisions so long as it only really affects me.

If your parents are less like that then I'd tell them beforehand.

[JerryBaumchen 1,233]

Hi Southern,

The one phone call that I am very glad not to have been on was a guy who used to hang out at the same bar I did back when I was single & in my twenties.

He got picked up in a raid on a joint, was down at the precint, called his wife because he did not have bail money & would be spending the night. He was heard to say, "Now honey, a sodomy charge is really not what you think it is."



JerryBaumchen

[normiss 718]

I was 42 when I started, my father passed away in 1984....and mom laughed when I asked her that.
Her response:
"It's safer than those damn motorcycles you ride, I'm sure."




(miss you mom!)

[cuoffrdn 1]

My parents and sister and her husband came to watch me do my tandem and when I landed I told my family that it was the coolest thing I had ever experienced and my mom said "I could do that." It wasn't 15 minutes later she was signing paperwork to jump. I already knew that I wanted to sign up for AFF before my tandem but first I wanted to experience a tandem before AFF, and now just 2 months after I did my tandem I am 3 skydives away from getting my A license.

[hybrid59 0]

One of my daughters and I did our first tandem together, then we did the AFF together a couple of years later.

The two of us jumped this summer with my other daughter who did a tandem, we were all on the same load in sequence.

Am I a bad parent..........

[missbrz 0]

My parents completely encouraged it!


... well they encouraged me to do a tandem... little did they know I meant AFF and haven't stopped. NOW they approve less

[Whamie 0]

My parents were present for my first jump...before i boarded the plane i kissed my mom, told her i love her, and said i'll be back soon.

[brokenwing 1]

i kinda sorta had to tell them as i was 17 and needed their signature on the waiver. took a year to convince them to sign.

[airtwardo 7]

I was 18 when I stared and no I didn't tell the folks until I got home that evening...I made two the first day.

My parents knew it was something I was going to do 'someday' so they weren't shocked or upset.

The following weekend I was headed back out to the DZ and my dad asked if he could go along and watch. He brought his Nikon and a case of beer, so he was quite a hit at the dropzone.

Ended up as a really good thing, brought the family closer together...both parents became regulars at the DZ, we spent more time together than we would have.

It made Christmas and birthdays better too, pops would throw me the para-gear catalog and ask what I needed!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Lindenwood 0]

I got video of my first AFF jump (had never done a tandem) and went to their house that evening and said "hey, look at this neat video!" My mom's expressions and shrieks were priceless .

Weeeee!

[faulk04 0]

My mom paid for my tandem...had some family party that night and I showed everyone else the video...they weren't too happy. 2 years later the only one who really approves is my mom. I have even been offered a good amount of money from the rest of my family members to stop jumping

[DanDanInc 5]

My parents didn't know. I can't wait for my kids to be able to go. I want to take a trip to Sweden to let them jump at 15.

Sincerely, Daniel (not as fat as he thinks he is) Adams
http://www.skyjump.com
http://www.vimeo.com/dandaninc
http://www.youtube.com/dandaninc

[jverley 0]

My first jump was a static line jump with my Father. Mom and Sis came out to watch.

John
Arizona Hiking Trails

[Avikus 0]

My story goes like this...

Ever since that Canada Day celebration weekend where I first saw someone under canopy, about age 9-10, I wanted to be a skydiver. Sadly enough, school and social life always put that idea aside.

Last year, May 2011, I come "home" and tell my mom that I'll finally going to go skydive a few weeks later...

Before I tell you her reaction, I wanna say that our relation between her and I was always, always positive. From my first experience with Alcohol and Bar (never got into drugs *high five*) she always took it as "Live your life because I didn't". She was the oldest of 7 kids so she was always a 2nd mother her whole teens life.

So I come home, tell her and she flip the F out! I mean cursing and being angry and everything! I was very, very surprised. Did not expect such a reaction from the calm, positive mother I grew up with.

After her little tantrum, she finally go away and come back 30 sec later with a card. I had my graduation ceremony a few weeks after (3 days after my tandem was schedule). She give it to me and tell me to open it.

"Dear son, I am very proud of you for all your hard work finally paying off. It was a dream of mine to see you graduating and to thank you for making my dream come true, I will make yours come true. You will finally going to experience skydiving. (...)"

My mom flipped out because I ruined her surprise. So let's just say that I got my tandem paid for ;)

Sadly she didn't know it was the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. But she is very happy for me that I found one hell of a passion.


Love ya mom!

Avikus - Packer and Jumper - Hate landing with the plane!

[airtwardo 7]

"Dear son, I am very proud of you for all your hard work finally paying off. It was a dream of mine to see you graduating and to thank you for making my dream come true, I will make yours come true. You will finally going to experience skydiving. (...)"

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TOO COOL!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~