February 27, 2005 - Sunday
We went sledding this afternoon with Rip and his parents. The hill was a place across town that we'd been to once before with our boys and it was a pretty big hill, at least for little kids, and last time both of our boys were a little nervous about it. So, I was pretty surprised when Harry took off for the hill with Rip and the two started down the hill side by side in their respective sleds. Maybe it was just having Rip there, but Harry's not usually that bold. But, he had a great run, and then a couple more, and was having a great time. Meanwhile, Jeremy was still a little nervous about it, saying he wanted to go slowly (mostly so he didn't get snow kicking up in his face as happened a couple of times last time we were here). But, we tucked him in between his mother and me, thus protecting him from flying snow, and he really liked the whole speed thing. Everything was going so well.

Then Harry's pull-rope got caught under his sled and it caused him to tumble. I worried that it might hurt Harry's confidence, but it wasn't too hard a tumble and he got up laughing and yelling to Rip about what happened. Unfortunately, Harry was right at the base of the big hill and some other people sledding started down. It was two girls sitting atop an inflatable plastic donut, actually I think it was their father who pushed them off the top trying to be funny, and it was completely irresponsible of them to start down the with Harry there. Naturally, they barreled right into little Harry. He got up pretty quickly enough and started to walk up the hill and I thought maybe things might still be all right. Maybe the big air bubble donut sled didn't hurt a boy who was padded up in a big winter coat after all. Maybe I didn't see it clearly when it looked as though they hit him pretty squarely. Harry made it all the way back up to the top of the hill where his mother and I were waiting, but as he got closer his face began to turn. Then he started to cry. It's not really clear to me whether he was actually hurt or startled or just wanted a little parental sympathy, but it really put a damper on his wonderful spirits. He said he didn't want to sled any more.

So, what to you do? To me it seemed important to get him back having fun with it as quickly as possible and try to get him to remember the wonderful confidence he had shown earlier. So I kept encouraging him to go down again with me. Eventually, he did go down again on his own, but tipped over and got snow in his shirt. Oh boy, another deterrent to having anymore fun sledding. I thought surely that would be it. He did go for a couple more runs with me and eventually, because Rip was still going, falling over, and laughing, again by himself, but he never regained the early attitiude. At least he didn't let it stop him all together. This is the kind of area were his friendship with the freewheeling Rip is clearly very good for Harry.


Comments, Opinions?