Sometimes You Just Need a Little Push

I’m always asking our son to push himself, learn new things, step out of his comfort zone, and greet challenges with a positive attitude. Sometimes I forget to take my own advice.

With so many wonderful activities for kids in the area, it’s easy to fill up my calendar with the same rotation of outings over and over again. When juggling a baby and a toddler it’s just easier heading to places that I’m familiar with – I know the directions, the best places to park, where the restrooms are located, etc. And since we’ve been there many times, I’m more confident that our toddler will have a good time.

Last week my husband suggested taking our kids to see Disney on Ice. After a busy week I was not interested in another big outing. I was looking forward to a normal, relaxing, low-key weekend at home.

I was concerned that it would be too distracting for our daughter to nurse and too loud for her to nap. I didn’t want to spend the entire show outside of the arena with an unhappy baby. And I didn’t know how our son would handle a possibly cold and crowded arena.

Luckily my husband convinced me to step out of my comfort zone and give it a chance. I’m so happy he did. Not only did our son enjoy the show but his sister did as well. And my husband and I even had a chance to just relax and enjoy the show too.

This outing rekindled my desire to step out of my comfort zone and try more new activities. Check out new venues, read new books, meet new friends, play new games, cook new recipes, etc. It reminded me that we are no longer in “survival mode” and just figuring out how to juggle both a toddler and a newborn. Now we have months of experience and our sleeping newborn is now a giggling, smiling baby who is becoming much more aware of the world around her.

Have you ever been stuck in the same parenting routine? Did anyone/anything convince you to branch out?