i have to tell you about the crazyness that is Charlotte's newest trick. i'm telling you, if she lives to adulthood, she's going to be an Olympic athlete or famous ballet dancer or circus performer or SOMETHING. Her balance and motor skills are off the charts!
We have an exercise ball that we use/used for her therapy. Sit her on the ball, bounce her, sing "Five Little Monkeys" lol, fun stuff. Sometimes she pushes the ball or even attempts to roll on it. Friday she was sort of doing that and Alan held the ball. Wouldn't you know it but somehow the little stinker climbed up the ball and tried to stand! So i came behind her and sort of helped her balance but i didn't do much really. We caught about the third or fourth attempt on video:
We did it again Sunday and oh my gosh she is amazing! She actually started pushing my hands away so i couldn't hold her. So i made her hold my index fingers in each hand. Which apparently she took as an invitation to jump up and down and up and down on top of the ball! We didn't get that on video unfortunately (memory cards full) but trust me, it was about twice as impressive even as this video, which alone blows me away.
And here's where i confess a parenting secret. i get a little, sometimes a lot but usually a little, worried about what other people think of how i parent this kiddo. i try to find a balance that keeps her safe, but when you have a kid who knows no fear and is an even bigger adrenaline junky than you are, and is so focused and determined that you can attempt to redirect her 200 times in a row and she'll run right back to the scary activity undeterred, it's pretty hard to find that happy medium. i feel like other parents would see this video, or see her in action on a playground or whatever, and judge me for letting her do these things. But it's practically impossible to NOT let her do those things! And i figure these traits are part of her amazing personality, and we need to respect that. So, i do what i can to let her do things while keeping her safe.
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(P.S. About PL'ing) Oh, and Friday was the bad day for potty learning so at the end of the day i stuck her back in a diaper for the evening. She didn't actually go in it, which is good.
ReplyDeleteI know just what you mean about having an "adventurous" child. My son climbs everything, touches everything, and tries to eat everything... There are a few family members of my DH who are shocked that I don't "control" him better. This Christmas, one of my aunts told me outright that "the most important thing you teach your kids is to obey you."
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the most important thing I teach my son is that he is loved. Yes he needs boundaries, but I will not become a dictator so that I can turn out the "perfect" child. I love the child I have.
The more I read about Charlotte, the more she reminds me of Jack.
ReplyDeleteI have received my share of comments, people "helping" him at the park, etc, but here's the thing: he seems to really know his own abilities. Yes, he has had accidents, yes he often "shows no fear", but when I really watch him, he does know his boundaries. He asks for help when he needs it. SO often he DOESN'T need it (the kid's balance and gross motor skills are amazing!), but he knows when. Naturally.
I find that part of him amazing!
I think you are doing a great job. And you are teaching her to be an independent person. And there is nothing wrong with that!
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