Climbing the Ladder

Two days ago now, I was playing outside with our son upon my arrival home from work, and as the normal course of afternoon play unfolded, it saw us mostly running around the back yard, chasing each other, and at times, me just watching him wander around, pick up sticks and stones, and move them to other parts of the yard.  At some point, he wandered over to our driveway where I had temporarily put my Gorilla ladder (one of those ladders with independently adjustable sides that can be placed on stairs or other uneven surfaces).  Me being the brilliant dad that I am, I thought to myself, what better time than now than to set up this ladder and see what he does.  So I grabbed the ladder with him watching, and set it up so it was a six foot step ladder.  After watching me grab the ladder and set it up with a great deal of curiosity, he went right up to it, hesitantly placed his hands on it, and then started climbing up.  I never told him to climb or anything other than "be careful", he just took it on his own initiative that it needed to be climbed.  Ladders are not a new phenomenon to him, but up until a few days ago, we wouldn't let him get above the first step due to his relative lack of balance.  With his balance greatly improved, I had very little trepidation about his ability to climb the ladder in front of him.  So up he went, a little hesitant at first, looking down, gripping the ladder tightly with his little hands, but up he went, 3 out of the five steps.  He looked around when he got to the top and discovered that there was a much better view of the world when his head was six feet above ground than when he was standing actually on the ground.  He then came down only to immediately climb back up.  He did this a few times, getting more adept with each ascent.  A few times he climbed up to the fourth step, but with less to hold on to, he didn't stay up there long and quickly retreated to the safety of the third step.  He did this over and over and over again, the appeal of climbing daddy's ladder not ceasing for at least 20 minutes.  As much as I wanted to grip his shirt tightly while he climbed (we were standing on pavement after all), I didn't.  I merely kept my hand about 6 inches behind his back, just in case, and let him climb on his own volition.  There were a few times he almost asked for my help, but within seconds, figured out his predicament and resumed his safe climbing.  What surprised me the most was not his ability to climb, I knew that was there, but the safe way in which he did climb. 

 

Watching him climb was almost like watching a safety video by OSHA on how to properly climb a ladder.  He maintained three points of contact at all times (OK, most times) while climbing, and he always ensured his feet and hands were properly placed before proceeding either up or down.  I think the biggest reason that I set up the ladder for him to climb was due to my grandmother, Baba, who had my climbing trees by the age of three.  She had me climbing up trees by myself and from that point on, I had relatively little fear of heights.  I have always had a healthy respect for heights and the dangers they espouse, but never a fear of them unless I place myself in a dangerous situation which I have learned to avoid at all costs.  But that early education on climbing I feel was beneficial to me.  I taught me not to fear heights, it taught me that I could accomplish a feat of climbing on my own, and it gave me confidence to approach other endeavors with zeal.  While I can't force my son to do anything, I can give him the opportunities to push his own boundaries and figure out what he is capable of.  If he ever needs serious help with anything he does, I will be there to help him, but for the most part, I encourage him to figure things out on his own, to become a problem solver, and to persist in whatever he is doing.  I can see the benefits of that already.  Right now, I see it in the simple things that he takes on such as moving a wagon through the back yard, searching for his missing keys, unlocking the kitchen cabinets.  He has a distinct determination and even a little patience, that is hard to find these days.  You can see it in the focused look on his face and in his ability to look at all possibilities before succeeding in whatever he is doing.  Yes, our son is only 2.5 years old right now, but I love every second of watching him grow, learn, and tackle any obstacle in his path.  When he turns three, you can be sure that I will have him in a tree, with me, learning how to climb it, which branches not to hold on to, how to balance your weight over your feet, and how to most importantly enjoy it.