We are preparing for a trip to New York City where we will visit my brother and his fiancée. The last time I visited the city was pre-kid, so our itinerary this time is a little different from the time before. Parks, concerts, and child-friendly museums are on the agenda.
One other activity that is on the agenda is a lot of walking. Yes, I know that Manhattan has a subway system, but I like the city above the ground and enjoy walking through it. To this end, we’ve been in training, my daughter and I. We are going to walk, walk, and walk some more.
I have always had a child who is attachment-oriented, and I mean this literally. From the moment she was born my daughter wanted to be carried constantly. I walk a lot and I carried her in backpacks until she was two and a half or three. This was somewhat arduous at times, given that she has been over 35 lbs for ages. However, my child was never big on walking or the stroller or even the car. She loved being carried.
When my daughter was three years old, she reached a threshold around the 40 lb limit and I simply could not carry her for extended periods of time, even though I am sure that my chiropractor would have been impressed by all of the extra visits. She had to walk, and epic tantrums ensued. The truth be told, we took the bus a lot for a year or so. In that year, I thought that I would never again see a trail in the forest – at least not one longer than half a mile. I suspected that we would be stuck waiting for the bus for a ten-block jaunt for years. I was wrong.
Some time last year, we started walking to the corner store, a 15 minute walk there and back. The walk back is up a large hill, too. I must confess to using the goal of getting an ice cream as the initial impetus for our walks to the store. In March, we started walking to preschool. This is no small feat, since it is about a 40 minute walk. I told her it was training for our trip. We collect berries along the way, we listen to birds, and we chat. It is wonderful, and it is something that I despaired of doing. Sure, I knew my child would grow up, but I had visions of my thirteen-year-old having a tantrum when I wouldn’t carry her up the hill.
It might happen yet, but I am also here to say that for those parents who have a child permanently and literally attached – there’s hope. Your child will stay attached, but your child will also walk, as long as you walk too. Once again, it’s one of those developmental things. Whew.
(Image courtesy of ducabillas at Stock Exchange)