"It's too hard..."

Three little words came out of Colin's mouth on Saturday.

"It's too hard"

I've never heard him say that before.  Colin isn't one to shy away from a challenge, and I'll admit I wasn't sure where this new frustration, (and phrase) came from?

While running around the golf course, during a golf outing that Pat was golfing in, and I was volunteering for, Colin's eyes locked on the driving range.  What toddler isn't immediately enamored with millions of golf balls in huge baskets? Well, let's take a step back.  He was first immediately enamored with the "wagon" (a.k.a. beer cart) and then the "tractor" (a.k.a. golf cart).  But, the huge basket of golf balls was a close third. 

Pat's been working with Colin on his golf swing in the basement, so Colin was eager to break in his new clubs on the range.  Or...maybe he's just a boy. And boys love to hit things with sticks.  Whatever the case, he was following Pat's instructions to a tee (sorry - golf pun, I couldn't help myself).

"Head down, slooooow, hit the ball!"

After a few practice swings, I showed him how to balance the ball on the tee.  Of course, the next words out of his mouth were "I do it! I can do it!" After a few failed attempts, Colin's temper (sorry kid - you got that from me) got the best of him. 

I thought Colin was going to go all "Elin" on the ball.  He was swinging the club around in the air yelling "It's too hard". 

He looked to me for help. 

I encouraged Colin to try again.  He looked at me, completely frustrated, but went back to the task at hand. And what do you know, a few tries later and...he did it!  He was so incredibly proud of himself, offering up high-5's and dancing around the perfectly balanced ball.

I think as a parent, it's important to let your children learn, make their own mistakes, and face their own challenges head-on.  It's easy for us to finish a puzzle, pick out a matching outfit, or do that science project for them.  But, what do they get out of that?  How will they learn?  

It's tough sometimes to watch the struggle, but it makes the success even sweeter. 

 I know this is a simple example, but I think it's an important one.  I want to raise a boy who is kind, thoughtful, adventurous, and also independent. 

While I will never turn him down when he grabs my hand, and says "C'mon Mama, let's cuddle",  I am willing to let go of that same hand and let him experience life.  Even if it means a scraped knee, a mismatched outfit, or an unusual (at best) golf swing.