Getting Your Kid to Try Something New

A central part of parenting and motherhood is letting your child try something new. My daughter is what I describe as cautiously brave. She tries a lot of new things, but she doesn't jump right in. When she was three years old, she tried two new things in one day.

One weekend, my husband and I took her to Old Tucson Studios, an amusement location that once was a movie location for western movies. My daughter decided that she wanted to ride a horse and go on one of those log rides by herself.

My litter woman bravely sat in the log ride by herself, tightly gripping the side of the vessel. She's the type of child who looks like she's concentrating on whatever task she has in front of her. As the log went along the water, her face showed that she wasn't going to get excited until the ride was over. When the ride ended, she climbed out of the log and smiled at her accomplishment.

That same day, she rode a horse for the first time. Actually, it was a pony. The man lifted her on the back of the animal and she grabbed the reins like a pro. As they slowly walked around the park, she relaxed and followed the man's instructions. Once her horseback ride was over, I think she wanted to do it again. She still talks about riding the horse every now and then. I was so upset that I ran out of film for that moment.

After seeing how willing my daughter is to try new things, I can't wait for her to learn new things. The pride I have in her curiosity is one of the best parts of parenting and motherhood to me.