Overcoming Fear

My sweet daughter has always been a little skiddish. Okay, skiddish is an understatement. When she was two years old, she wouldn't step in the grass barefoot. Yeah. I know.

But I have seen a dramatic change in her since kindergarten. Going to big kid school has been a tremendous confidence boost for her. I thought being amongst the smallest ones in school would have the opposite effect. She was a little shy at first, but now - she's swinging from the trees... literally!
This is her flying down a... ZIP LINE! (And yes, she is in her ballet uniform... we went straight from ballet class to a birthday party.) She climbed the rock wall to the top of the tree house and stood at the top of the zip line for a few minutes... contemplating...
...and then she held on tight to the handlebars, hiked up her legs, and WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Do you see that smile? Love it.

And for Christmas, we bought her roller skates. She's been skating around the house (on the carpet) for weeks... maybe months. Then she started skating on the tile, but ONLY if she's holding onto the cabinets or a wall or a chair.
And then suddenly.... she decided she was ready to venture outside. She started skating (translation = walking) on the grass. And then I held her hand and we slooooooooooooooowly skated on the concrete.


And now look at her! Skating on the sidewalks without holding my hand and sliding down a zip line with the BIGGEST smile on her face. My baby girl is overcoming her fear, one small step at a time. And I couldn't be more proud of her.