"Danger" is His Middle Name

As Daniel continues to improve his mobility skills, he is finding the courage to try all sorts of new things: walking on the balance beam at Little Gym, going down the slide by himself, and bouncing on his parents' bed, to name a few. All of these activities are wonderful indicators of his increasing independence and growing strength. What alarms me, however, are the activities that demonstrate his "nothing can hurt me," no-fear attitude. We're talking death-defying stunts that only a toddler would consider a good idea to try. While I'm thrilled that Daniel is not held back by any fear or hesitation, my motherly instinct sends a shiver up my spine the moment he begins to climb or jump. These days, it's pretty much all the time.

One of his favorite activities as of late is to climb up on a kitchen chair and stand there, reaching for whatever is on the kitchen table. Sometimes he hoists up his leg and proceeds directly onto the table (an idea he got, no doubt, from our food-seeking dog). I don't mind him sitting on the chair, as long as someone is there to supervise. It's the climbing and standing that worry me. Even with an adult present, Daniel's movements are largely unpredictable. At any moment, he could conceivably fling himself off the side of the chair! And forget keeping a hand on him to assure that you'll catch him if he falls. He pushes it away in disgust. How dare you not trust him to keep his balance and stay safe?

We bought Daniel a climbing toy that has a door, a platform, and a small slide. He spent the first week stepping off the platform and hitting his head as he fell to the floor. Even when we demonstrated how to face the slide, sit down, and proceed feet-first, he still insisted on doing it his way. These attempts would obviously end in bumps, bruises, and tears. But there was something about the rush of doing it the "dangerous" way that made it irresistible to him. People always tell me, "Boys will be boys." I know that there are worse injuries in his future, especially when he begins to play sports. I just wish he'd be content to stand firmly on the ground until then!