Saturday & Sunday Accidents
I sometimes wonder if I am too overprotective of my daughter. We are older parents and she is our only child. She is 2 years and 5 months and talks a blue streak and is physically fearless! Our parenting philosophy is that she needs to explore her world and that we can't protect her from everything and that she has to experience some natural consequences.
Saturday while at a wedding shower for my brother's fiance, my daughter snarfed a whole grape off the table and then choked on it. We got it out with no incident.
Then on Sunday, we were in the neighbors backyard and they had two kiddie pools set up. My daughter wanted to go in the deeper pool. She'd never been in there. The water was up to her chest. She was dancing and twirling and pushing an inflatable toy around. She lost her footing and went under! I could see the panic in her face while I raced to the other side of the pool to haul her out. She was out in a few seconds and was sputtering but was fine!
Two accidents in two days. The most serious ones she's ever had. She is no worse for the wear but her mama feels like it was a slap in the face. A reminder that I won't be able to protect her from everything and that eventhough I know I shouldn't it is oh-so tempting.
Kids learn through experience. I'm sure these two experiences will make an impact on your daughter, far more of an impact than dire warnings would. She'll probably chew the grape before trying to swallow it now or avoid them or you could use it as a teaching moment and really obviously chew up a grape in your mouth, commenting on how juicy it is, how it feels feel getting squished between your teeth, etc, etc...Samething goes for the dunking. It's all about learning.
"It's a gift to be simple. It's a gift to be free." Shaker hymn.
I am not alone! Just the other day, DS was flipping his legs over the edge of the changing table for the millionth time just to get a reaction. I always block him from falling but this time I thought, well....
Not that I'd let him fall and crack his head open right in front of me, of course not. But I tend to have a similiar viewpoint as you do...let him explore. sometimes he will fall or tumble or whatever. I strive to teach him how to know if something is stable or safe rather than forbidding him from doing it at all. For the most part I feel really good about this, but when there are bumps, bruises, or moments of panic, my heart wrenches.
it takes courage to be a mama that stands back and lets a child explore their world. you are doing well, mama.
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