Perseverance

erseverance

Yesterday morning I sat, watching Little Man play, wondering what P word I should write about.  As I observed Little Man reach through the wire mesh we have enclosed our wood-burning stove in (to protect him from getting burned) and grasp the handle of the shovel we use to remove ash from the stove, I wondered what he would do when he realized he could only pull it so far.



His reaction didn’t really surprise me, because it’s not a new pattern of behavior.  He tried, and tried, and tried until he figured out how to accomplish his goal: getting the shovel out of the enclosure so he could play with it.

As I watched him discover his current limitations and assess the situation, I wondered what he was thinking.  I wondered if he would cry out for help.  He repeatedly pulled the shovel until it would come no further, scraping the metal across the tile surrounding the stove creating a ruckus that I’m certain drove DH from bed!

Little Man inspected the situation from every angle and took time out to play a little, turning the shovel handle into a makeshift riding toy.

Twisting and turning the shovel, he inspected his deterrent more closely and nearly had success so many times!  He didn't give up when he met with failure.

As the dogs looked on and inspected what he was up to, Little Man displayed his frustration.  But he never gave up and he didn’t cry out for help.  He was determined!  As he began to achieve his goal, he had a look of curiosity.

And then the shovel was free.  In just about 10 minutes he explored, inspected, tried and tried again, and ultimately freed his new toy from it’s captivity!  He was proud of himself and showed me his accomplishment.

Then he left the shovel behind to move on and explore something in the kitchen…