Ever hike in wet boots?
"Good job, Mommy! You did it!"
I was indeed proud of myself. Everywhere I looked, there were trees and fallen branches. I was standing on a cluster of flat rocks in the middle of a creek. I hadn't been this far down the creek on our hikes before. My five-year-old son and my husband were usually the ones hopping across the rocks while I stuck close to the sides or stayed up on the path.
We moved farther down the creek, jumping from rock to rock. I was surprising myself and having fun. Then we rounded a bend and came across a clearing of sorts. Less trees, more sun. The rocks were much larger and jagged. The water also got a LOT deeper. My son decided he wanted to climb across the jagged rocks. I surveyed the creek, trying to find a safe path and shade. It was rapidly approaching 90 degrees.
I heard my husband warn our son not to go any further. I turned my head just as I heard the splash. My son lost his footing and went butt first into the water. His feet followed right after. He made an "Oomph!" sound and laughed at himself. Waist down, he was soaked. It got un-funny pretty quick. "My boots are wet." "My boots are heavy." And my favorite: "I think I have a fish in my boot."
As a parent, I had two competing, simultaneous thoughts: "Do I go ahead to get the car so he doesn't have to walk home in wet boots?" and "This is a great lesson in resilience." Let me tell you, it was a long walk home. It should have taken under 15 minutes. It took about twice as long. The above complaints were a broken record. But....
By the time we got home, all three of us were laughing. My son decided to take his boots off in the garage because he was afraid he was going to flood the house if he took them off inside. (I mean, where do kids get this stuff?!) He cracked up when nothing came out but we wrung out his socks and got a few drips.
We collectively learned quite a few lessons that day:
Encouragement. It sounds silly, but the positive encouragement from a five-year-old who traversed the terrain before me made a big difference. I'm not outdoorsy, but I like being outdoors, so I'm glad I kept going.
Resilience. Make no mistake, I'm certain that hiking home in heavy, wet boots was unpleasant. He made sure to let us know that -- but he also did it!
Laughter. It's really the best medicine, even when we don't feel like it. Something shifted along the walk home. One of us made a joke and that was it. All of a sudden we had a fish in his boot and a flood in our house.
All we need to know we learned in kindergarten. My son is starting kindergarten this September. It hit me like a ton of bricks that experiences like this are what shape him as a person. But I can also take the opportunity to learn here too.
I'll just be sure to keep my boots dry.
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