Free Range Magda

I sometimes have to consciously struggle against my overprotective tendencies when it comes to our kids (well, Simone has it easier in this aspect, being #2) However, I can see the positive impact it has on Magda when she gets a chance to stretch past her boundaries and beyond her comfort zone. I love to see the wide eyes and hear the thrilled "I did it!" when she accomplishes something new. So I encourage her to try new things and root for her when she comes up with new goals.

Of course, I sometimes wonder what her age appropriate limits are. I'm in the process of reading Free Range Kids which provides a bit of a sanity check about what does and doesn't make sense for a kid to do. I think that so far we've been well within the "no need to call CPS" limits.

Here are some of the little things she's been working on:

• Hanging and dropping from horizontal bars (started with the pull up bar in our kitchen and progressed to pretty high monkey bars)
• Hanging off a low horizontal bar upside down and letting go with her hands into a handstand (just the other day at the CM playground)
  
• Crossing the street on her own (we check for traffic and she makes sure to look both ways)
• Going to the mailbox down the street to send stuff
• Taking the stairs at Barnes and Noble while we take the elevator

The last one is the only one when she tried something outside our view, and has been a big step for her.  Apparently, the other day they decided to do this with Jfer. On the second floor Magda was to walk down the stairs while Jfer took the elevator to meet her on the first floor.  Jfer didn't realize that the stairs end up quite a bit away from the elevator on the first floor, and by the time she arrived in the oh-so-slow elevator, Magda was wandering through the isles, wailing for her mom.

I hadn't heard that story, but when I took her to B&N yesterday, she said she wanted to go up the stairs by herself while I took the elevator!  It went well, though not without some trepidation on my part while waiting for the lift.  Once we met up, Magda suggested we see who can get down first and started heading down the stairs (assuming I'd be right behind her).  I misunderstood and took the elevator down again - and there she was in the same predicament as with her mom last week.  This time, however, she did know how to find the elevator at the bottom (though with a quivering lower lip) and we decided that next time we'd be clear about who goes where.