Boys will be boys right!? Of course. If you have a rambunctious little boy as my husband and I do then I don't need to explain the concussions, broken collar bones, sliced opened fingers, etc. #okay So in my defense anything he (my son) does always heightens my parental antennae- wakes me out my sleep! #nolie. Well, I recently signed both of my children up for swimming lessons and they both enjoyed their time learning while playing, key word "playing"- I'm all for that. So when it came time for the lifeguard to test my children as to assess whether or not they were "ready" for the next level (weeks later), of course I was calm- I thought my kids won't pass, they need to practice before I would dare call them swimmers. So why did this lifeguard tell me my son was ready for level 2???? I bought choked on my spit! I immediately envisioned my baby jumping off the diving board and venturing off past the "I told you don't go passed the 3ft of water" point with a noodle only to need me to jump into the water from the bleachers to save his life- HE IS NOT READY, I damn near had a heart attack!!! #forreal. Again in my defense, he was "playing" in the water, barely even listening, blowing bubbles and bobbing under water- how does this equal ready?......Does my son know how dangerous water is? Why do the lifeguards trust him so much? What if he can't....? <------------That's what I was thinking & that is how my mind works sometimes & that is the devil & that doesn't promote anything....I needed to check myself. I had to come back to my right mind and say, "I'm scared" and I will probably always be scared because he means so much to me (they both do, she's just a better listener at times) however, I don't want to impose my fear as a parent on his decisions in life. I congratulated him quickly and told him how proud I was of him, he said, "What happened? Can I have my sucker now?" I smiled and gave him his sucker because he was oblivious and more importantly he enjoyed trying something new- just playing and having fun. As my children get older and begin to try new things, even though I don't think they're ready, I am learning to let them venture off without me. I have to let them learn what I already know: That life only exists to those who take risks! So, as I cautiously let go, little finger by little finger- I know I am equipping them with all the "tools" needed on their journeys to greatness...
If you struggle (out of fear) in letting go, try this!
1. Trust that the values you've instilled will guide their decisions.
2. Practice giving your child space to grow.
3. Give your child the opportunity to master tasks on thier own.
As always thanks for ending your workweek with me!
