That Nasty Little "B" Word

Be Careful!

Watch Out!

Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself!

Be Careful! Be Careful! Be Careful!

Those words seem to echo in the presence of a fearless toddler. Keeping our children safe becomes our #1 priority as parents.

And God forbid you watch the local news!!! (which I no longer do) Unimaginable danger seems to be lurking around every corner, threatening to snatch our precious little people away from us without a moments notice. So we MUST pound this carefulness into them lest something terrible happen. RIGHT???

Note: terrible things never happen to people who are being careful ; )

In this safety crazed, germex driven society we are raising our children in, I am forced to question if we are missing the point.

How many 'Be Careful's' before they are no longer comfortable trying new things?
How many safety precaution's before they start to believe their world is not safe?
How many 'Don't Do That's' till they start believing 'Maybe I can't do it?'

And no, I'm not saying that you shouldn't tell your child not to touch a hot stove or allow him to play with knives. Let's not get crazy here. I'm just saying maybe we should give kids space to try new things, to shock themselves with what they can do.

In our effort to protect our children from danger, could we be instilling in them the most dangerous idea of all, a fear of living, of trying new things, a deep need to stay safely with in their comfort zone, a self doubt that they can do anything...be anyone...accomplish great things???



Last Saturday we hiked at Mt. Lemmon, mostly we drove up the mountain, but we did some pretty intense hiking for a three and four year old. 

view from 8,000 ft. above sea level



Aiden spied a huge pine tree layed over on the mountain.

"Let's go up there, " he screamed.

"Okay, let's do it!" Justin took his hand and they both started up this exceptionally steep hill.

Aiden's sneakers slipped and crunched in the rocks as he slid down every few steps.



"You've got it, Son! You've got it!" Justin was saying, giving him a helping hand if he slid to far down.

The look in that little boy's eyes was like nothing I had ever seen. It was wild and untamed, like he could conquer the world. In that moment I knew it was true.

"I CAN DO THIS," he would holler out, and he was right. He worked and strained and forced himself up the side of that mountain, no matter how many times he slipped or skidded on his britches, till finally he was at the top of that enormous tree with his Dad and a look of absolute victory.

Aiden believed he could climb up that mountain and he believed it because we did too!

If we had been too careful. He would have never had the opportunity to realize what an amazing thing he could accomplish.



looking down from the top of the tree. that's El down there at the bottom. She climbed it too btw. :  )



As parents we have been given the most awesome responsibility to help these little guys grow into the people they were meant to be. I want our kids to know they can change the world.

So while they are still small, still forming this idea of themselves, we choose to plant seeds that will grow into FEARLESSNESS!

May they learn to be BOLD, to scale a mountain in whatever form they come. My hope is that their only fear may be to not live, to not take risks, of not living with an open heart and not loving with their whole soul.

So when we are tempted to beat that "B" word to death, may

We Be Careful of :

• What we say
• The ideas we instill in our children
• The seeds we plant in their beautiful little hearts which will grow to be the foundation of who they are

& Most of all...

• that we are striving and stretching to be a living example of that which we hope to see in them.





Love,

Big Momma Payne