At my kids’ preschool there are only a few rules for safety – mainly around the zip line.

One of the rules they have for kids (and parents) is to NEVER help another kid up a tree or piece of equipment. Their view is the kids have a better idea of their limits than their friends, or parents.

Since they taught this to me, I’ve been a lot more hands off with my children and careful not to encourage them get in over their heads. It’s stressful when they are little but they figure out how things work quite quickly.

Wanted to pass that along as it’s been a useful technique to help my kids self-regulate.

One of my “fondest” toddler memories was my oldest daughter hanging upside down on a cargo net, screaming, at Pirate Ship Park in Vail. By the time I put my phone down and got over there, a mom had bailed me out.

Yes, I was the Dad looking at his phone while his three-year-old hung upside down.

Still working on getting the balance right.