Lesson #49

Follow their lead

I love taking my three kids out to do things when we have a free day. Let me clarify, it is not that I always love taking them places, just that I love being out of the house where the chaos level seems to decrease. I usually have all three of them now that summer break is in full swing. Today, I just had Miles and felt very relaxed about our outing to a kids' science museum. This place is normally seriously stressful. When I have all three, it is extremely rough keeping them all together and not feeling like someone is missing. With just Miles, I only had to keep track of one!

I found myself falling into my normal habits of steering exploration. Usually with Miles, I am trying to coerce him to stay in a confined space or trying to keep him from running off. I found myself trying to do this today. But with only one kiddo to monitor, I reminded myself to let him lead the way. It was a real eye opener to see what types of activities he is drawn to. I always thought he loved the veterinary area but now think that was more about where I tried to lead him. He was very interested in building and in experimenting with shadows. I know I don't always have the luxury of letting my kids take the lead. In most cases, this wouldn't even be a safe idea. But when the opportunity arises, I will definitely try to take advantage from now on.