Walking without Letting Go

Learning to Teach: 

My daughter, Rose, is 11 1/2 months old and very close to learning to walk on her own.  One of the most profound lessons I have learned lately is children learn independence best by giving them freedom without letting go.  Rose is getting close enough to walking on her own that I wanted to she how she would do if I let go, even if it was just one hand.  However, when I tried to take a hand away, she grasped my fingers even more tightly so I couldn't let go without compromising her balance. So instead, I ended up lowering my hands and relaxing my arms so she had to balance more on her own while retaining the security of holding onto Mom's fingers until she gets the experience and courage to take a step completely on her own. 

Reflections:

I wonder if this isn't a lesson we could apply to all ages...for example: teaching our children about money.  We may help our children open a bank account but forget to teach them how to balance a checkbook.  Or we may teach them to save, donate, and spend, but we forget to teach how to develop a budget and stick to it.  Baby steps aren't just for babies, they are for all of us.

Learning to be a Mom:

Tip: Order your fast food "To Go" even if you are eating in when traveling with infants and toddlers.

This is a simple tip I learned recently was on a road trip to visit my sister, that would have saved me a couple near misses and a big disaster.
    Here is the story: Dad had to stay home and work so it was just Rose and me on a 6 hour road trip.  I stopped at Wendy's because I love their salads.  So I ordered my salad and a glass of water.  At the last minute, I also decided to get some fries because I hadn't had fries in over 6 months and they smelled amazing.
     As the cashier begins to load my tray I begin to see impending doom as I think of the curious, squirming child in my arms.  Since I just ordered water, my glass doesn't have a lid on it, because I ordered "Eating In" the lid for my salad has been placed underneath the heaping salad, and my fries are fanned out on the tray like the tail of a peacock.  But all I can see is trying to carry this tray to back to our table with one hand while in the other arm Rose tries to get her hands into everything and something (if not everything) spills or falls to the floor.  So I ask for a lid for the water as I secure the lid of my salad. Once the water lid was secured, I picked the tray up and headed for the condiments for some ketchup and a fork.
    On my way, I discover the placement of the water in the corner of the tray makes the tray awkwardly unbalanced and precarious in my single-handed grip.  So when I arrive at the condiments, I adjust the water to the center of the tray, find a fork, and proceed to obtain ketchup, hoping my aim is accurate since I am still limited to doing everything single-handed.  Despite my lack of hand-eye coordination, I manage to avoid a mess and I am soon on my way to our table where, upon arrival, I had claimed the last high chair and a table with the diaper bag.
    Now comes the final test of coordination. I need to set the tray down in order to place Rose in the high chair, but the diaper bag is taking up most of the table.  So I attempt to move the diaper bag just enough to set the tray down securely and away from the high chair, but I fumble and my worst fears are confirmed as fries spray everywhere, the cup of water tips over drenching the remaining fries on the tray, and my salad tumbles out onto the table, tossed but safely contained thanks to a secure lid.  In defeat, I begin to collect as many fries as I can hold in one hand from the high chair.  After three trips to the trash like this, I can finally set Rose down in the high chair and proceed to pick up the table and floor.  Disheartened, I finally sit down to savor the 5 fries that survived the ordeal and think to myself "If only I had ordered this 'To Go' ..."

*Please note, I have chosen not to use my children's real names for their safety.*