My 3 year-old daughter was walking down the stairs in our home. When she was half way down, she tripped and started to fall face-first down the steps. I was on the other side of the railing and I saw her reach out and grab the railing to keep from face-planting and tumbling down the steps. Thankfully, she grabbed on and kept herself from rolling down the remaining steps. The way that she grabbed ahold of the railing, though, left her feet on a step higher than where she was holding on so she was sort of parallel to the ground with her tummy above one of the lower steps, her face pressed into the railing and her toes on one of the higher steps. She was understandably frightened and started yelling for help. I saw that she was fine and not in any danger, so I looked at her squished little face through the railing and told her, "Good catch! You almost tumbled down the steps." She repeated her cry for help and I told her, "Just stand up, sweet pea." "No Dada! I need you help me!" she kept yelling. I smiled back at her, "No you don't. Just stand up, sweet pea." After a few more iterations of telling her to stand up, she worked up the courage to look back up the stairs and to slowly pull her feet down the steps and back underneath her body. At this point she stood up and started giggling. Clearly, there are situations which require adult intervention and care. I suspect, however, that there are many more instances where parents would do more good for their kids if they simply stood back and let their kids solve the problems themselves.
Letting your kid solve their own problems teaches them that they're strong and capable. It teaches them to be self-reliant and strong. Solving your kid's problems for them teaches your kid that they need daddy to take care of them and that they can't do it themselves.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
November 2017
Categories
All
|