Mojo is just a fun word to use. What I mean is that Cassie has her confidence back.
Maxine and I are the ones who damaged it in the first place.
Earlier in this trip, we did a lot of walking with Cassie. And, when we’d come home she’d slip on the polished wood floors of the house we’re renting (photo is Cassie in front of the stairs).
It’s a two-story house and we go up and down all the time, expecting Cassie to follow. But, either from tiredness or just the slipperiness, she started falling. She’d get up two steps then slide down, or, she’d stand at the top of the stairs afraid to take that first step down.
We felt bad for her, and thought we might be to blame having gotten her too tired (she’s 10 years old). So, we began carrying her up and down the stairs rather than expecting her to manage on her own. “We’ll only do this for two days to let her rest up.”
Dumb idea. We fed into her fear of the stairs and taught her that we’d take care of things. After two days of being carried she would not go either up or down on her own. It took a week for her to get her self confidence back. Now, happily, she bounds up and down the stairs freely.
What struck me was the parallel between how we’d treated Cassie, and raising children or managing people. Do you help them, especially if you care for them and don’t want to see them fall? Especially if you can help them so easily? It’s tempting, but you risk something bigger.
Maxine and I are the ones who damaged it in the first place.
Earlier in this trip, we did a lot of walking with Cassie. And, when we’d come home she’d slip on the polished wood floors of the house we’re renting (photo is Cassie in front of the stairs).
It’s a two-story house and we go up and down all the time, expecting Cassie to follow. But, either from tiredness or just the slipperiness, she started falling. She’d get up two steps then slide down, or, she’d stand at the top of the stairs afraid to take that first step down.
We felt bad for her, and thought we might be to blame having gotten her too tired (she’s 10 years old). So, we began carrying her up and down the stairs rather than expecting her to manage on her own. “We’ll only do this for two days to let her rest up.”
Dumb idea. We fed into her fear of the stairs and taught her that we’d take care of things. After two days of being carried she would not go either up or down on her own. It took a week for her to get her self confidence back. Now, happily, she bounds up and down the stairs freely.
What struck me was the parallel between how we’d treated Cassie, and raising children or managing people. Do you help them, especially if you care for them and don’t want to see them fall? Especially if you can help them so easily? It’s tempting, but you risk something bigger.
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