I recently heard an episode of the radio show This American Life called Batman.  It tells the story of Daniel Kish, a boy who grows up blind and develops the ability to echo-locate.  By clicking his tongue, he is able to navigate the world and learn to do pretty much everything that other children do.   He walks to school, climbs trees and rides a bike.  Yes, he is totally blind and he climbs trees and rides a bike!

What struck me about this story is the level of trust that Daniel’s mother had in him.  She knew that if he was trusted and given space, he would learn, but if she always stepped in when he “needed” help, he would never learn the necessary skills to be in the world.  And most importantly, her stepping in would get in the way of Daniel developing any sense of self-sufficiency.  

Kids have much more ability than many of us give them credit for.  They have an incredible ability to learn and adapt if we trust them and give them the space to do so.  For many of us, this is not always easy.  It’s only natural for us to want our children to feel good and safe and to succeed.  But just as important as children feeling good and safe and successful is for children to have a strong sense of self-reliance. To know that they can take on challenges on their own.  And the only way for that to happen is for us to trust them.

Check out This American Life and the ultimate trust.