When Ella Grace started getting mobile around 6m, we started teaching her how to get down safely by turning around.
Down stairs, couches, beds, slides, etc we would teach her to turn around so she would always land feet first while also getting a good grip with her hands.
On slides, being turned around and on her belly gives her more control on how fast she goes down. It is usually how I tell how confident she feels based on whether she chooses to sit or go on her belly.
As a Child & Family Development Specialist, I'm a huge advocate of trusting and empowering your little ones. It means teaching them to listen to their bodies, their gut and their instincts.
I absolutely believe that you should spot them (stand behind them on a structure) if you think they might not be completely ready for it yet but also not "helping" them through it. Be calm and confident as that makes a big difference too. You are there if they need your help but you trust them.
As a mama, I know I know I know how tempting it is, but they have to learn how it feels to be unbalanced, how to shift their weight, what feels safe and what isn't.
I was just reminded of this yesterday when Ella Grace was climbing up a tall fancy play structure. She started going up and I stood behind her to spot her as I watched her explore. When she got up quite a bit and it got harder for her to manipulate, she told me, "I tried it but it's too tricky mama. Maybe I'll try again when I'm bigger" and then climbed back down to try something else. 👏🙌❤️
She explored her curiosity, listened to her body, stopped when she realized it wasn't safe to anymore, but more importantly, had the confidence and trust to know that she may not be able to do it now but she could come back to it again later.
YES! YES! YES!!
That's really what respectful and mindful parenting is about, raising kind, confident, independent, inquisitive little ones that aren't afraid to fail because they know it's part of the process.
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To learn more on why it is a huge safety hazard to go down a slide with your little one, follow this link :
https://www.facebook.com/…/a.13963042538…/1468413309939327/…
