Waiting

I sort of thought I wouldn't be in for too many surprises when it came to Chase.  After all, this isn't my first rodeo, right?  How much more could I learn the second time around?

Apparently, plenty.  And what information I already knew, I can now appreciate and value that much more.

Take last week, for example.  I was giving Chase a bath while he was playing with a little cup.  He dropped the cup and it floated away, just out of reach.  I immediately went to give it to him, but I stopped  - it took a few tries, but Chase eventually figured out that if he splashed his hands enough, it caused waves that brought his cup back within reach. 

The look on his face, you guys. So, so proud of himself.

And not only that - what did I teach him by letting him figure it out on his own?  That he is capable.  That he can try and fail and it's perfectly ok.  That sometimes when he tries, he succeeds. 

A huge part of parenting for me is trusting the process.  Letting our kids figure things out independently, uninterrupted. I love stepping back and observing their brains at work.

Just another reminder of how much of a reward stepping back and simply waiting can be.