Last Sunday, the babies in the breezeway Hat Nest launched out on their own. They'd only just hatched, it seemed, and yet there they were, perched on the edge of the brim and summoning their courage for that first leap.
Silly, endearing little creatures! Their unruly down still floated about their heads like crazy hairdo's, and their tails were mere nubs! They peeped and flapped and then...with the chirps from their mama to give them confidence, they careened to the ground.
Meghan and Grayson were entranced by the babies' first futile attempts to defy gravity. Mama guided them through the rose bushes and salvias, to the holly trees by the side of the house. She flitted and squawked, circled around, zoomed past and landed just beyond their reach. Each time, the fuzzy chicks would peep in response and try to follow her.
Hours later, they were still at it. Finally, from a branch, Hat Mama encouraged them up the trunk of a tree and into the protection of some leaves. She was relentless, tireless and oh, so proud. She'd cajoled, threatened, praised and prodded those little guys into independence in one long day.
Today's Small Thing is to follow Mrs. Hat Bird's example by encouraging independence in your children. Are you teaching them to brush their teeth, put away their clothes or make their beds? Are they learning to put one toy away before taking out another? Maybe, like me, you are cajoling, threatening and prodding your teenager to do his own laundry and put his dishes in the dishwasher.
Instead of caving in to the easy route and doing it for them, stick to your guns and do some sweet chirping of your own to help them fly on their own wings. Oh, their attempts won't be perfect, and they won't learn it in one day, but perhaps today they'll flap and hop and flit for a short distance toward independence.
POINTS: 40 for working on helping your child learn to do things on his/her own.
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