Thursday, December 4, 2014

Hands-on

I lead a very hands-on childhood. The idea of not letting your child experience this-or-that on their own and antibacterial everything is such a foreign concept to me. I ate bugs, played in mud up to my chest, climbed tall trees unsupervised, and caught wild birds out of the air with my bare hands. Never once did any of these activities lead to my demise.

I taught myself to swim, ride a bike, and tie my own shoe laces. Not because my parents were neglectful or not there for me but because they knew I could do these things on my own. I didn't need help. I just needed encouragement.

People really need to relax when it comes to parenting. There is a lot of hovering these days. So long as they aren't actually in danger, let it be. They'll figure out why they should not pick up bees on their own. Kids are smarter than people give credit for. They are also far more capable than we'd like to believe. If you allow them to, they'll overcome almost any obstacle with just a little encouragement from you.

Certainly, some children need a little more help than others and that is fine. But don't just assume your child NEEDS you to intervene on their behalf. Let them try and fail a little. Trial and error is the essence of learning, really learning.