Riding the waves...

This is video of my daughter boogie boarding during a recent trip to San Diego.  My children did not take to swimming like I had always dreamed of, but both of them are good swimmers now.  That is my sister in the waves with her, not me.  It is funny, that as unbelievably thrilled I am to see my daughter playing and laughing in the surf, I was not there.  I always imagined that I would be the person to teach and witness all of my children's milestones such as walking, riding a bike, jumping off the diving board, hitting their first home run, and all the other simple, but significant, milestones of growing up.  What I have learned is sometimes your children need to learn from others and you need to be the cheerleader, supporter, and observer in the back of the room. 

Andrew learned how to ride a bike at the neighbors across the street.  We tried for months to give advice and coach and encourage him to pedal through the turns, make small corrections with the handlebars, but what he really needed was to be allowed to learn on his own.  He needed to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and see that there are other people who do things differently.  Just because I was not the person to impart the pearls of wisdom to him, does not make it any less of an accomplishment.  My children learn more from me about how to do things by watching me and modeling me, then putting that into practice, than they ever could from me lecturing to them.  Sometimes it works for them to have a little instruction, and then try it on their own. 

The kids don't know that just as they are learning new things, I am learning how to be a parent, too.  And it is harder than it looks.  One thing that I have learned is that it can serve you better sometimes to pick them up after they have fallen and encourage them to try again, instead of lecturing, instructing, or telling them this is the way to do things.

Just look at her in the waves.  I am proud and pleased, and the next time we go to the beach, I will be invited to come ride the waves with her.