Park Timidity

I took the kids to the park on Saturday to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. Millie got her first swing ride. We all enjoyed the sunshine but my children are timid park goers. You would expect a child to get to the playground and be ready to burst out of the car and run to the jungle gym. Sylvia and Gus tend to hang back and watch the other children. They take their time getting used to the place and gradually get into their own groove of play. And Sylvia is definitely the most timid of the two. Although I value her observance, I feel she would benefit from a healthy dose of rambunctious courage. If I could just get her to go down the twisty slide a time or two I'd probably have a hard time getting her to stop. I remember the same situation for myself as a child. I had a hard time taking the initial risk and doing something new and somewhat scary. But once I got the hang of it, I would become quite adventuresome. For instance, my dad basically had to throw me into the water during a beach trip around the age of five. And not long after that I spent more time than anyone floating on the waves and begging to be tossed in again.