BE BRAVE

Last night my husband and I were out for a walk. On our usual path we often end at the park so our daughter can hop down from her stroller and have a little fun. Last night it had rained and was getting a little late, so we decided to forgo the park. Our little girl did not forget though. The whole time we were walking she kept looking back at us and asking "be brave, be brave?"

At about 18 month the park became sort of scary for her. She loved going down slides and swinging on swings but she developed a great fear of walking on the equipment. Maybe it is all the holes that make her feel insecure, maybe it is the fact that I stopped climbing up with her and encouraged her to do it on her own, I am not sure, but since then we have been working on getting her to climb up to the slides on her own.

She has made great improvement lately, and although it is still really hard for her, she is doing it. We cheer her on and tell her she is so brave. Now when she wants to go to the park she just asks if she can "be brave?" And really how can you say no to that.

Last night on our walk she must have asked us 20 times if she could be brave. I thought about how she wanted to face her fears, how although it was still kind of scary to her to climb up on the playground, she loved the slides so much she was willing to work to overcome the fear in order to have the rewarding slide experience.

She has taught me to try again, and to be brave. I love these little lessons from my little person.