Baby Steps

I have a Lenten resolution that I am working on and I failed at it miserably this weekend; but, I put my finger on something about myself today and I'm not giving up.  You see, I like changes to be quick and easy.  Painless, or at least a short lived effort with lasting results; but that isn't how life works, that's not how toddlers and preschoolers learn and grow.  Really all of us require baby steps and perseverance (I didn't I just write that about 15 times in the Valentines I just sent you all, guess that message was for me).

In my head this post started about a picture book, The Listening Walk.  We have been attempting to get out in nature more and have thus joined a local hiking group for preschoolers.  The first week we had fun for most of it until we HAD to leave.  Last week our outings were less successful with a whiny "hungry" kiddo.  I even contemplated throwing in the towel.  Last Friday after naps and right before closing time we stopped by the library and picked up a big stack of books we had on hold and a few more besides.  One such book was The Listening Walk about a girl who goes for a silent walk and notices the noises around her. Well Mara has gotten into this book and asked to go for a listening walk.  Now are walk today was far from silent but we had ourselves a great time.  We looked at flowers and took photos and looked under some rocks and used our magnifying glass and saw some birds and ate a snack (one we would usually turn our nose up at).  But not once did I hear "I'm hungry" or even an "XYZ hurts (insert meltdown)", and when we got back she even had an honest to goodness scrape on her arm that she calmly told me about.  This folks feels like a gigantic leap but I am choosing to see it as a baby step because our next hike may go great and it may not, but if we can string a few together (hopefully with more positive experiences than negative) then we will be making real change that can last and that is the attitude that I need to cultivate.  Anyway, I highly recommend the book.  I think it could be good no matter where your kid falls on the nature walk continuum.  It can take a whiny like mine and get them excited to get out there or a loud adventurer and hopefully get them to quiet down and use a new sense to explore nature (maybe we can try that lesson with the book next year).

So from picture book recommendation to spiritual and parenting lesson I am recommitting to looking at life as baby steps to help me make progress towards my goals.  Attitudes and boxes here I come.

Gratuitous cute kid pictures: