Fearless child V Fearful Child - was pondering the advantages and disadvantages of each yesterday

[deaconblue]

as I followed ds (2) all over Brancaster beach yesterday and my friend relaxed while her ds (2 1/2)played a few inches from her side.
Ds was neck deep in the waves within minutes of getting his swimming stuff on and would have walked the length of the beach without even noticing whether I was nearby or not. Exhausting.
So I felt a bit envious of friend with her nervous son who doesn't like to leave her side as she really chilled out. but I could also see how this could be frustrating and her ds didn't seem to enjoy himself nearly as much as ds did.

Oh no!
I have a nervous child (3, actually) and it winds me up!

I see all the other children, running around shrieking, having fun, and my little 5 year old limpet is stuck to my leg whinging "I don't like it"
What, the multicloured paddling pool that sprays water into the air on a boiling hot day? The sandpit filled with more equipment than you can imagine? Grrrrrr!!

Give me over enthusiastic anyday. Suits my 'hands off ' parenting too!

Altho, I can see how at 2 you have to follow them around

I have on of each and each does have its advantages and disadvantages, my 3yr old is as timid and as fearfull as they come but my 2yr old is a real daredevil.
I don't orefer either behaviour although i do get annoyed with ds1 when i can see he really would enjoy something but he just wont do it, i also get annoyed with ds2 who will just jump off the top of [insert high thing here] wether anyone is there to catch him or not! I just try to reassure and encourage ds1 and try to instill a sense of safety in ds2 which in a 2yr old is impossible!

I think clinginess would really grate on me. Dd can be a bit of a wuss and that annoys me. Dt2 is completely fearless though and need eyes in the back of my head with him. He has jumped out of a first storey window, jumped into the deep end of a pool, cries cos he can't go on adult rides at theme parks, tried to chase a grass snake... I do wish be would learn some sense of danger.

Clinginess does grate...and it makes me sad to see him watching all the other kids, chewing his nails, when he can't seem to 'let go' and join in.

What have I done? I've had 3 kids the same..until the age of about 7 when they seemd to grow out of it.