Hibernation time is over and this is the first season that Naia is a fully mobile girl-on-the-go. She has been spreading her wings, testing her boundaries, and taking her feet wherever she feels like toddling.
I know there's a lot of curiosity about how we manage this stage in particular, around the boat and the marina. And the short answer is, we do it much the same way you all manage your toddlers in a house with stairs, tipping furniture, and busy streets. We watch her like a hawk, we allow her to find her way and learn the turf, and we talk her through making the right decisions so that -- one day -- she will confidently go forth without mom or dad in our watery world and beyond.
It's a very
Continuum Concept sort of thing. I really believe that little ones adapt to the environment they know when they are allowed to truly explore it without being caged up away from things perceived as risky. Zach
really taught me this as a tot.
I use the word "edge" a lot, and she knows quite well what that means. Other than that I try to just keep my mouth shut and let her discover.
Thankfully she is a good sport so far about wearing her PFD, and while she doesn't know to ask for it yet she's also not having a fit when I go to put it on. She's so ready, so sure, so excited about it all. A life jacket is not going to spoil this girl's fun.
I will sprout many more grey hairs this summer I'm sure, watching her stumble and fall and near miss and walk the line. But I know I will also swell with pride as I watch her find her way with confidence, strength, and joy.
