But I digress. I put Andromeda in the sling and Simone grabbed her scooter and helmet and we walked down to the park. I told Simone she could scooter ahead as long as she didn't cross the street without me. When we got there, she scooted through a puddle in the parking lot, but it wasn't terribly deep. Simone was disappointed. So we went in search of a bigger puddle, which we found at the corner of the basketball courts.
After making a few big splashes there, we decided to take on the hill in the middle of the park. On the second side, she swerved to avoid a pothole, lost control of the scooter, stepped off and ran several steps before wiping out completely. Now, the last time she'd taken a tumble from her scooter, she bounded up with a laugh and said, "That was awesome!", but this time she sat there looking pale and shaken. " Are you all right?" I asked, trying to keep matter-of-fact and not rush while I caught up with her.
"I think so," she said, her voice a little quavery.
"If you let me get to you, I'll help you up."
She checked her knee, which was scraped, and then let me help her up. "You want a drink of water?"
She nodded, and I noticed a spot on her side that was scraped up. We started to walk, and she hissed and said, "Ankle!" and then limped to the drinking fountain. She didn't ask for help, but I brought along her scooter. That drinking fountain was broken, so we sat on a bench on the basketball court for a while before moving to use the one by the bathrooms. By then her ankle was better and she wasn't limping.
There was a time when I had to work to be nonchalant about a fall. I imagined her breaking a limb, the poor thing. I imagined getting blamed for it. "Why oh why did you let her scooter down the hill, you horrible, horrible parent?!" I suppose there are some who could actually think that; it does say right on the scooter to only use it in flat areas, but where's the fun in that?
I swore I would let my kids have exciting fun in their environment, even if it was a little dangerous. It ultimately makes them safer, by teaching them to use their judgement. It also teaches them what happens when you fall, how to fall more safely, and how to get back up again. As soon as Simone could crawl I started letting her climb up and down the stairs outside our apartment. I stayed a couple steps behind her in case she fell, but I didn't help her or guide her. She never needed my help, and she never fell down the stairs. I let her climb all over the planters and benches at the mall. "Don't step on the flowers," I'd say, and I'd stay close and hold her hand if she needed it. My mom calls her a mountain goat, but I think most kids would climb and climb well if they were allowed.
She decided to put the scooter up after she fell and played in the playground until it was time to go. Then she said good-bye to the new friend she'd made on the swing set, put on her helmet and rode her scooter out of the park, building enough speed to splash through the puddle in the parking lot, sending sheets of water out behind her.
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