Testing

My daughter took her first unaided steps just after Christmas last year. Two or three steps between furniture and such continued until February, when she just let go and never looked back. She gets around on foot. Most of the time. Maybe I've been spoiling her and carrying her out of convenience and speed. Who knows.

This week we reached breaking point. Yesterday she point blank refused to walk to the park (circa two minutes at toddler speed) and I refused to carry her.

E planks on a wet pavement and screams for five minutes, unbothered by the fact that I am still on my way to the park. Proper face down, covered-in-mud-kind-of-planking. People walked by chuckling at the stand off between two incredibly stubborn Aries women. Eventually I gave in, put her in the car and went home. So much for making the most of my Fridays off and dry weather. 

I needed a plan. I resisted Dr Google for this one, however, and tough mum is out of the box. A kiddo somewhere between the 98th and 99th, by the age of 20 months weighs in excess of two stone. I cannot carry two stone and be 28 weeks pregnant. She has legs and can walk. End. So as of 7am this morning the "no carry" rule was enforced Chez Thursday's Child. Mostly successful. I am feeding her more fruit shaped snacks to keep her hunger induced grumpiness at bay and some bribery and coercion is needed. 

But we managed an early morning trip to the park, 99.9% on foot. I am sad that the colours of autumn are gone, but I do love an early winter morning. E enjoyed the ducks, the puddles and the swings. 

Let's hope that 99.9% is a figure we can stick to. Day one has set high expectations...