For example: today we went to the park after we picked him up from daycare. He wants to slide down the slide by himself, he wants to walk up the slide. He climbed the playscape steps with no problem, to the point that Sam had to run and jump to get ahead of him so he wouldn't walk off the edge of the playscape. He climbs up playscape tubes which are angled, basically things he shouldn't be able to do. But he doesn't know that. How lucky he is. He's willing to try anything because he doesn't yet know about failure. This is one trait I hope he takes with him forever.
Fearlessness - wonderful for the boy, terrifying for the mother!
Terrifying for me too. I just have to remind myself that there are some things I have no control over. Not that I do so great when I do have control.....like watching while El pulls a folding chair over on himself.
ReplyDeleteFearlessness can teach boundaries, too. It may be hard to watch him fall and make mistakes as toddlers do, but he will learn from those mistakes. I let B and D touch the outside of a coffee mug (after the liquid is gone) to feel the residual heat and recognize what HOT is. That way, when I'm baking cookies and I tell them the oven is hot, they have a frame of reference. Otherwise they would fearlessly put their hand in the oven which is at their level and tragedy would unfold :(. By taking the natural curiousity and making it a teachable moment, E too can learn from his fearlessness. Enjoy the journey.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to figure out how to keep them from "helping" to shut doors...D has gotten his fingers slammed one too many times.