At one of our favorite local parks, there is this floating walk way thing which is just a floating death trap. There are a bunch of death traps at this park, like the floating ladder with big gaps in between the rungs which just screams broken arm, but this floating bridge thing has been a challenge for Luke since he laid eyes on it like gollum and a ring.

The platforms move and wiggle and if you’re not steady on your feet, bye bye reading, cuz you’re gonna hit your head hard on the fall down.

Luke watches big kids tackle these things like champions. And for months, he’s been the cautious kid who needs his mom to help guide him across each lil step. Or he’s the kid loudly shouting at them that it’s “dangerous be careful”…not sure where he heard that…

Until today…

I was busy chasing around the ginger speed demon and pulling mulch out of her mouth when I turned back around and saw Luke tackling this wiggly platform all on his own. I never once heard “MOMMMMMM I NEED HELP” or “IM STUCKKKKKK”…but he just did it. I fought the desire to sprint over there, a. because running sucks, and b. because running sucks, and c. because he seemed to actually be doing aight!

Part of me was jumping up and down as I saw my future of being the mom on the park bench getting closer and closer…oh park bench…I can’t wait to be friends with you soon.

But another part…just wanted to her “MOM HELP ME, I CAN’T DO IT”…maybe one more time? WTF is wrong with me.

And then not 10 minutes later, I heard “MOM IM STUCK” as he was dangling 6 feet in the air on the monkey bars…and I had flashbacks to myself spraining my arm as I fell off the playground when I was like 7, so back to the helping spot I ran, cuz mama ain’t got time for an urgent care visit TODAY.

I’m proud of him for keeping at these wiggly platforms for all those months. For maybe actually listening to my guidance about how to tackle these things on his own…haaaaaaaa, listening to me….pffffttttt. For not quitting, because he likes to quit a lot.

It’s interesting to see how two kids, from the same set of genes and parents, can just be so different. While Luke has spent his years being cautious and constantly seeking approval, I watched Emma strut around the park BY HERSELF (let’s call this free range parenting), in complete confidence for a solid 15 minutes while Luke slowly ate 25 rice cakes at the table. She even attempted to crawl up the slide and failed several times, but seemed to enjoy herself doing it…so you do you girlfriend.

And then I looked into myself and I felt zero need to hover….maybe this is why he’s the way he is? Maybe I hovered too much when he was little, cuz well I had nothing else to do, but follow his butt.

SO basically, this is all my fault. NOW I GET IT.

Sorry for the hovering first born, but now you can conquer the wiggly platforms. So everyone wins right?! But can we still have some caution and fear when it comes to the giant spider web climbing thing?

And soon…the bench will win me…oh yes bench, we shall meet soon.