5 year-old daughter's first time off-roading

[cubsalltheway]

Good bit of advice considering Ive been wanting to take my kids out for some fun

 

[WISHiHADaRAPTOR]

Since taking my son out to TRR earlier this year, both my son and my daughter have been constantly asking me to take them offroading. I had been concerned with both of them being too young, but my son had handled TRR well, so I finally relented and took them out to Texplex this last Saturday. As you can see from the video, they both loved it!

That said, I would not recommend taking a child less than 7 years old out for the fast stuff. My daughter's neck muscles were not strong enough to keep her head upright with the added weight of the helmet - something I didn't realize until halfway through the second lap, when she was getting quite sick. At 6y10m, my son was just strong enough to keep mostly upright at TRR, and started feeling ill about an hour into driving. Being a passenger in these vehicles will quickly fatigue you even as an adult, so while your kids will probably love it be mindful of the strain on them.

For those curious, this was my first time back to Texplex in a year. They took my complaints about the Raptor tax to heart - even with two passengers this was the cheapest visit I've had. The track has had some minor adjustments, both positive and negative. One of my favorite straightaways was removed in favor of very tight turns (bleh), but they've fixed the flooding spots so no more getting rained out (can't believe it took them so long!). It remains my favorite track in Texas.

In case you are wondering, both GoPros failed to record GPS data, so no overlays this time. Similarly, my helmet cam setup was not ideal, hence the poor view out the windshield. This will be rectified next time.

Great info, I would also want to take my boys if/when I can get a Raptor! Do they want to go out again is the next question?

 

[rtmozingo]

My son has been asking to go again and again - probably will go weekend after next. My daughter has been soured on the experience a bit, which I was afraid of.

I forgot racing neck braces are a thing - buy some of those and I bet a 5 year old will be fine. I'm gently trying to warm my daughter up to the idea of going out again.