And who could blame them? Even adults struggle to be brave sometimes. And along the way, we’re always right there, cheering them on.įor some little ones, finding their courageous side can be a bit tricky. He slid to the bottom of the pole and then glanced over at me with a proud smile and yelled “Mummy! I did it!”Ĭhildhood is full of moments of courage and bravery like this, whether they’re letting go of the couch to take those first wobbly steps on their own, or letting go of your hand to walk into their first day of Kindergarten. Slowly but surely, he asked for help less and less, and by the end of the season, he was calling across the playground for me to watch him from a distance. At first, he insisted that I stand at the bottom and help him, afraid that he might fall while trying to get from the platform to the pole.

Then, one day, he decided he was ready to give it a try. He’d watch warily as his friends slid down the pole, opting to take the slide down instead. He’d tackled every other piece of equipment at the park over the years, from the toddler swings to the monkey bars, but the fire pole still made him nervous.

Last summer, my eldest son was determined to conquer his fear of the fire pole at our local playground.

Brave books