The Habit of Trying

Playgrounds are one of my favorite places to visit with my children.

We make it a point to try out new playgrounds when we are travelling.

 The kids always look forward to the familiar things like slides and swings,
 but they also like seeing what's new or different at each playground.

Each child may approach the playground differently,
one may run directly to the swings,
another might greet a new child on the equipment and make friends,
still another might campus the equipment deciding what to do do first--like a buffet line of fun.

 But the best part of playgrounds is the trying...
whether it is trying to connect with another child
or do something they've never done before...
its a great way to figure out something new...
and learn that scary habit...
trying.

Trying...it means going out into uncharted territory either for you or for everyone.
New..different...scary...
...but without trying we never know what we can accomplish.
Scientists know that whether trying leads to success or failure new things will be gained.

Even if we fail--- all is not lost--- because we have learned in the process and can chart our next steps. 

Never let someone say you cannot try.
 We were created to be bold, inquisitive and curious about our world.

Recently, my little girl boldly reminded me of this.
We were at our local kids' science center,
 when she became fascinated with the dam construction display.

After trying her hand at building it in its "proper" place in the display,
 her little sister removed a few blocks to let the water through. 

 Then, she examined the bricks down below. 

An idea came to her, and she exclaimed, "I have a better idea!" 

To which a little boy at the table declared, "You can't have a better idea! That's not allowed!"

Undaunted,
she continued to build a lower dam just below the first.
She figured out how to make a dam outside the "proper" place.

 

 Learning a new skill of making a new friend can be scary. 

Some like my Adventurous Child are always up for the challenge...

...they live for it...

..while others like my Thinker Child like to slowly work up to trying. 

But either way they know they can't succeed (or fail) unless they first try.

 The last playground we were at, my Thinker, figured out how to do this all by herself.

 While the others were playing on the main equipment, she decided to conquer this!

And slowly, carefully (that's the way she approaches everything)....

...she made her way  

 to the end!

She did it.

Only by trying do we learn a new skill.

Only by taking the chance of saying, "Hi!" do we make new friends...

Sometimes in our grown-up world we are tired.

We don't want the new.

We don't want to learn the new.

When this happens...

...remember the habit you first learned from the playground:

Try!