Well, the computer ate my first try at this, so I'll be a little more succinct this time.

After an unplanned (and unwelcome) eight month absence from (semi-)serious skating, I made arrangements in December at a new rink to get my son back into lessons. He's getting tolerably serious these days, so it didn't take but a couple of months of sitting around the rink freezing and watching him skate to motivate me to sign up for some dance lessons again.

At other rinks we've skated, parent/kid skaters were not unknown, but where we're at now, I have yet to find a parent/kid group on a freestyle session at all. Apart from our being both male, is this really that unusual, or is it a local peculiarity?

Any thoughts?

Rob Dean

At my rink, there are a few mother/daughter duos... I know of one father/daughter...

And Im talking child in teenager years.. not young children.

So I think it just depends on the rink, or the area, or just even on whom the parents/children are...

Of course, I would think that it would help parents more to get on the ice or take it up if they saw/met other parents who were doing the same thing.

so no, I dont think its unusual in general, just maybe in some rinks...

But then again, there could be more duos out there, you just dont know because the child has a tendency of not going anywhere near their parent whilst skating

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-Erinna-
aka cassarilda

My Progress Report!
"Did I mention there is only ONE rink in Melbourne?!"
"If you're not flying, you're obviously not trying!!!" - courtsey of the guy who helped me up off the ice after my last spectacular and sore fall

Here's an impressive father-and-son team that I came across while researching relocation options.

Greg and Greg

Makes you want to cheer and count your blessings. Plus, it's a great reference for rinks in Maryland.

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Well, I don't know if your rink divides freestyles up by test levels, but at my rink they do, so you would never be put on the same sessions as your son most likely. This may be the case for any would be parent/child duo. One is usually not at the same level as the other, for a variety of reasons, so I doubt you'll see many actually skating at the same time.

You do at our rink! We have at least one father-son duo (father's partner also skates, but not always at the same sessions), several mothers and daughters, one or two fathers and daughters, and at least one whole family! Mum and Dad do Pairs, while the children dance (although both are solo dancers, as Son does free as well, and Daughter doesn't). We used to be a family, years ago - Daughter is moving down South again next month, I wonder if she'll take it up again, hope so - but are now one of several husband-wife teams. Although, oddly, the only husband-wife dancers, all the others are Pairs skaters.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

That is certainly a possible consideration. They do, but some of the sessions are open, and the low sessions include everyone down to LTS people taking private lessons in basic skills, which is where I'd expect to see some parents. Once he's onto the medium sessions, he'll be on his own, of course.