Little Explorers
I remember thinking to myself when R and M were just a few months old about how wonderful it would be when they start to crawl. They would be able to explore hidden places and new things that they weren’t able to before.
Crawling came and went and once they had fully mastered it my next thought was about how excited I was at the concept of them both being able to walk. Luckily they both learnt to walk at the same time.
They started to cruise along furniture around 11 months old and by the time they were 16 months old both were walking unaided.
I love watching them both running around, jumping up and down and climbing on things, but it seems this new found freedom has it’s hazards!
In the home everything is safe and even though M likes to throw herself over the arm of the sofa now and again no harm has been done!
M is quite a little explorer and loves to climb up onto the sofa, throw herself around on the bed and race around the house! She loves books and will point at the pictures for me to name them. In unfamiliar surroundings though, M is more reserved than R.
R is quite happy to wander off at play group to play with the toys or watch other children. As long as she can see where I am she’s happy. M takes a little longer to feel confident to do this so for a little while she’ll quite happily sit on my lap or play with a toy or two by my side.
Unlike M, R is more relaxed at home. She likes watching TV, listening to music and cuddling her toys.
When I first took the girls to the park, the majority of their time was spent sat in the swings taking in the surroundings. Nowadays, I feel a little more hesitant to take them to the park on my own. Not because I don’t enjoy it because I do. I love watching them explore and run around, but recently M has discovered that she has the ability to climb all the way up the slide to the top and whilst she’s doing this, R will be climbing up the steps on the other side to the top.
It fills me with terror!
When they get to the top there is nothing there to play with. It’s just a platform, but there are 3 open sides in which they could easily fall from. I don’t want to stop them from climbing, but I panic when one is stood at one opening and the other at the other opening. Sometimes I join them up there, but I don’t always get the chance to if they beat me to it.
I wish there was some sort of railing or plastic sheet to make it a bit safer.
When I finally manage to convince, grab or bribe them to come down I then have to try to get them back into the pushchair! Biscuits usually help, but not always!
I’ll always want to protect them both 24/7 as I know all parents do, but I know this isn’t always possible.
I’ve never felt a love like the love I have for my children. It warms my heart, makes butterflies flutter in my tummy and makes me who I am today. I am a Mum first and I always will be.
