Letting Go

Over the past few months, I have realized that I need to let Sam make his own decisions. I'm starting to relinquish the control that I've had over my little boy's style and bedroom design, for one thing. A few months ago, Sam got a Lego Star Wars poster of Yoda at a library event, and he immediately wanted to hang it in his room. I've never wanted to have Sam's bedroom decorations be "commercial" or "busy" by any means, but I also want his room to be his own personal space. This is the photo that I took after we ended up hanging the new poster on the wall:

And now, this week, I have had another experience in which I've let Sam make his own decisions (instead of superimposing my own choices on Sam). Sam needed a new pair of sneakers, and while shopping with Sam it became very apparent that it was very important to wear "light shoes." I'm sure you know which ones - they are the shoes which flash lights every time you take a step. Little did I know it, but almost all of Sam's friends in kindergarten have light shoes. Personally, I think they are annoying and distracting. But to a kindergarten boy, they are the coolest things in the world. Once I could tell that he was fixated on getting a pair, I let him have his way. We found a pair of light shoes that is probably as non-intrusive as they come (which is still pretty flashy and exciting, nonetheless). Actually, it was hard to find light shoes in Sam's size. His feet are big enough that he is starting to phase into "older boy" styles, so this may be the only time that he is able to wear this kind of shoe.

 I took this picture right outside of the shoe store - you can only see one of the white lights flashing on the side of Sam's foot. I jokingly called him "Twinkle Toes" as we walked outside in the dark tonight.

Speaking of "letting go," I've also thought a little bit about an article which J saw on Facebook the other week. This article discusses how Americans need to let children make more of their own decisions, try things out, and experience the consequences of their actions. Although J and I both think that situations are more complex than the author seems to acknowledge, I think there is a lot to consider here. I think that I have coddled Sam a little bit too much, partly because he is an only child, but also because I haven't developed the patience or the tolerance for messes that are required if a child figures things out on their own. I'm working on it, though. Hopefully J can remind me when I am making life too easy for Sam.