The joy at the end? Pure magic. I remember thinking: “Should I have stopped him? What if he got hurt?” But I also remember thinking: “Look what he’s learning.” What I’ve Learned: Watching him climb tall trees at 9, then land planes at 16, and become a licensed private pilot at 17? It taught me to get really good at TRUSTING my kids. Not blind trust. Not reckless permission. But trust that when I’ve set them up with the right environment and guidance, they CAN figure things out. Yes, sometimes they fall. And it sucks. It makes you question yourself. Wonder if you should protect them more. But here’s what I keep coming back to: If I spent more energy protecting him than trusting him, what message would I be sending? That I don’t believe in him. That he can’t trust himself. That his instincts are wrong. Play, of all kinds, builds self-trust. ➡️If 2026 is the year you want to build play into your child’s life, start here. But I’m Bored, my first book, releases in 6 days. Comment PREORDER...