After a bit of a rough afternoon, with moodiness and cranky behavior making its imprint on an otherwise uneventful day, Chloe went from miserable to ecstatic in about five minutes flat after I allowed her to accompany her friend on a bike ride around the block by herself.
She didn’t believe me at first – that I would permit this fleeting moment of independence. But boy was she happy. She rode off before I could change my mind, and after a couple of hours of nastiness, her demeanor went through a complete metamorphosis.
It was exciting for her to be on her own – outside, out of our view, with her friend. There are lots of other milestones to come, but this one touched me – she was so proud of herself. And even though the adventure lasted all of ten minutes, it was priceless.