Afraid to Jump?

I was very fortunate this past week to visit my cousin and her family in Texas for a week. She has a 4 year old, a three year old and an 11 week old. It is a very busy house but so full of love you hardly notice! As a teacher and someone who questions whether they want children or not of my own it was refreshing to see what I did. My cousin is a wonderful mom, she cares more about her children than whether her house is spotless and her husband takes on the role of dad and husband in a way that many men choose not to. He is there for everything, he cooks, cleans and puts away the bad guys during the day. The family is not perfect but they worship God with all their hearts and are wonderful examples to all those around them.

Now, as to the title of the blog:

While in Texas we went to the mall, no small feat with 3 little ones to eat in the food court and play in the indoor playground. After we ate, I sent mommy and Sarah away for some shopping and took it upon myself to watch the little ones play and wear the littlest one in her sling around my neck (this is the only way she likes to travel). I was sitting there watching about 25 little people run around, bouncing, jumping and climbing with no hesitation. I don't interact with young children as much as I used to anymore.

One child was standing on a slide and jumped, straight down to the floor. I was ready to pounce when the screams started, as were many other adults I noticed around me. But there were no screams, no hesitation at all. She stood up and ran off to the next activity.

I sat there thinking about how much the bottoms of my feet would sting if I had hit the floor like that and how it would reverberate up my legs painfully. How I would have hesitated at the top, looked for an alternate route down and then taken the safer way. I would have at least bent my knees and tried to soften my fall somehow.

It got me thinking that I miss that about childhood. The no hesitation to do anything. The ability kids have to go at warp speed and not have to think about the consequences until later. Not one of those kids was worried about being abducted but every time one of my little ones ran behind the big play structure I was on my feet looking to make sure they came back around the other side.

I wonder where it starts, where do we get the innate fear to question everyone and everything around us? Where does that come from? At what point did I think it was more important to be careful and not get hurt than to jump or take a risk to be happy. It seems like when a situation presents itself we think of 14 ways it can play out before entering the situation. Children see one and walk into it. I teach problem solving as a teacher I am not sure if that helps them or if it hinders them. So, are you afraid to jump?