Elise is a true mix of the both of us - wants to jump in and do, but hangs back until she is sure. She loves the idea of an adventure and greets each day with a "Where are we going/what are we doing today?," but still wants you to outline the plan for her so that she is prepared. We try very hard to talk up any opportunity to do something different and get her excited to try new things, but she still hangs back a little. Up until 6 months ago, she wouldn't get in a bouncy house, and any slide bigger than what she is used to is usually a no go.
Her friend, Ridge, had a birthday party this past Saturday - a dinosaur themed water party - her preschool friends, water guns, a small pool, and a giant bouncy water slide. I figured the slide was going to be a no, but 2 hours into the party, I looked over and there she was taking turn after turn on that huge slide, like it was no big deal at all. When we finally dragged her off to go home, I told her how proud I was of her for being brave and going down that big water slide. And in words that have come straight out of our mouths to her so many times she said to me, "I just told myself, "You can do it, you are a brave girl, you can do hard things."
Someday, too soon in the near future, she will be a moody teenager and I will be convinced that she does not listen to a word that I say, so this is my reminder that she is always listening, even when it doesn't seem like it.
Photo credit to our friend, Brooke
No comments:
Post a Comment