We made a trip to our local park this past week. This is a trip we're frequenting more and more as the weather gets nicer. Can't. Wait. For. Spring! Noah now takes to playground equipment like ants to a picnic basket. And while he was going nuts Randy and I discussed our first trip to this playground, when Noah could not yet climb the stairs by himself much less slide down this GINORMOUS slide. We meticulously taught him how to crawl up each step, grasping the rails for safety along the way. Then, a couple months after that, we moved on to walking up the steps. And before we knew it, he was running up them! Many of these kinds of playgrounds have various "holes" where kiddos can climb up and down, in and out. We still avoid these "holes" as Noah maintains his fearlessness. I'm sure someday we'll reveal them. But...someday. And now to the slide. One of us has typically bobsledded down with Noah, backing him up the whole way down. But now, he doesn't need us. Foreshadowing? Yup. What a bittersweet moment. So exciting seeing him burst out of his shell and show the world his Noahness! And so scary letting him go! I know this moment is scary for every parent. It's particularly nerve-wracking because Noah greets the world head first, runs a muck with his eyes closed, and dances, plays, sings, talks, and fights maybe while hanging upside down. Who knows?! It's his way. Full speed ahead...and a lot of times...backwards. But he owns it. And I wouldn't change a thing. :-)
You guys do a great job of letting him discover himself. I try not to have regrets about my own parenting style, but I have definitely learned that my controlling every variable only hinders a child from developing his self-confidence. And that balance of protection vs. freedom is different with every new child. Keep posting, it's good stuff.
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