Learning to Walk

In the same week, I've had several conversations about a child learning to walk.
While observing in a toddler room, a 16 month old is still crawling around
on the floor.  The teacher and I visited about his muscle tone, feet and legs,
brainstorming whether or not it was something physical. I learned the rest of
the story when I asked the teacher about the child's family; she told me
3 older siblings, all girls.  No wonder he isn't walking!

Earlier today, I visited with another provider about a toddler, 13 months, who after
spending the weekend at home, wants to be carried everywhere by his child care
provider during the day.  She said she was feeling mean by not picking him up everytime
he wanted to be held.  We talked about the need for him to develop his muscles and
confidence and that certainly when he needed comforting and reassurance, she would
pick him up. And we concluded that she wasn't as mean as she was feeling.  :o)

Later I picked up a new magazine and started looking through it and this short article
caught my eye; "Learning to Walk".  It's by Debra Sullivan and it's in the latest
Child Care Exchange Magazine.  She talks about the joy of watching her nephew
learn how to walk  and says "It's only a matter of time before he lets go of all
support systems" (i.e. Mom, Dad, furniture)"and takes that first series of wobbly,
but independent steps."  She then linked it to the process of personal change
for adults. 

• "If you don't stand up, you can't walk."
• "Just because you can't now, doesn't mean you can't later."
• "Never grow a wishbone where a backbone should be."
• "If it were easy, you would have done it a long time ago."
• "Don't believe everything you think."

I love all of those  quotes; especially "Don't believe everything you think."  Now I wonder how
long it will be when I will let go of all of my "support systems", i.e. comfort zones, and
take the first of a series of steps into the process of change.