CLIMBING IN CHILDREN

CLIMBING

Children like climbing.  They like to climb stairs, boxes, chairs, rocks, and Jungle Gyms.  They like it because they see other children climb and also because there’s a pleasant muscular sense involved in such an activity.

Of course, it’s a good idea to encourage climbing, particularly among city children who have comparatively little opportunity for such activity.  Needless to say, your encouragement need not be on the recently acquired antique chair in your living room, but outdoor opportunities should be exploited as much as possible.

There are two major reasons for this:

1. It is important to have your child do the things that he sees other children enjoy.  If he comes to feel out of the swim, there are generally untoward emotional consequences for him.
2. Climbing can help give your child a sense of bodily self-confidence.  This sense of bodily self-confidence will go a long way toward insulating him from.

The innumerable,irrational fears which children so easily develop.  True, he’ll develop them just the same for other reasons, but there’s a good chance that these fears will be temporary and not very deep for him so much of the children’s activities and games involve the gross use of their bodies that it is important for them to take their bodies for granted rather than feel constantly handicapped by the fear of using them.

Often children will attempt to climb things for which they have not yet the ability. It is wise to let them try, remaining close enough to them to step in at the time of danger.  Even though you may be fearful for them and stand by with your heart in your mouth, try as much as you can to allow your child to find out for himself what he can and cannot do.  He’ll be comforted by your presence, but he’ll easily allow his fears to become exaggerated if you show yours.

In other words, stand by and lend a hand, but avoid discouraging him completely or bullying him into trying something he doesn’t yet feel ready for.

You’ll find after a while that you’ll take certain amount of pride in seeing him

Hang from a swing by his knees the way other children do and you won’t be able to help recognizing the enormous amount of fun he derives from acting pretty much like monkey in a tree.