Walking to Grandpa's

I live 5 doors down from my parents.  Eventually, there will be little ruts in this sidewalk from all the traveling back and forth between our houses. 

Usually, the Wee One rides in her pink Graco stroller.  Occasionally I'll carry her in the wrap, but too much of that hurts my hip.  And besides, there's usually a huge amount of crap we've left at my mom's, and the basket on the stroller helps to get it all back home.

I read in a book that one way to prevent toddler meltdowns is to always treat your child with repect for their personhood.  Don't do things for them that they can do for themselves, don't carry them when they can walk, etc, even if it's slower or messier when they do it.

So I've been trying to let her walk more.  Even though, yes, it is S L O W E R, and I'm a Type A so slow is torture.

Saturday morning, a beautiful holiday-weekend morning, my mother sends me a text message to invite me for coffee.  I ask my Wee One if she would like to walk, and she says yes, so off we go, without the stroller.

Grandpa was out getting the paper and saw us coming.  It made him cry to see his girl walking down the street to his house.  (He cried again when he saw the video I posted yesterday.  He loves him a Wee One, that's for sure!).

(Oh, btw, the letting-her-walk-and-do-things-herself plan isn't having ANY effect on the frequency of meltdowns.  Whatsoever.)