To Push or Not To Push

We've been skiing up a storm lately, but sense that N has hit a bit of a rut. He loves skiing down the rope tow and has mastered holding onto that darn tow rope, but the hill is short, and not unlike skating around a constant loop, he just jets up and down. He's good at it, and it's easy, but I think he'd benefit from a little more challenge, like perhaps the T-bar? He can do it, I know he can, but he doesn't want to. He's probably a little scared, understandably. We have to keep in mind he's only five, and the hill is daunting, and he's hyper-self conscious of making himself look anything less than a super-stud (is ego genetic, or what?), but the question is, do we push him a little or just maintain the status quo.

There are several arguments in favor or giving him a little nudge. First off, and I know this from firsthand experience, a lot of times you never try something, for whatever reason, and wish that you had. You sit back and watch the world go by, stewing inside that you wish you were out there doing rather than watching on the sidelines. As he gets older, he'll experience this with meeting girls.

Also, sometimes kids don't know what they want, and the only way to know is to try. If after trying they decide against it, then at least they tried, but they'll never know until they take that first step.

And finally, from a purely selfish POV, it would make it more interesting for mom and dad if he moved it up to the next level because then we could all ski together. Riding the rope tow can get to be a chore. It takes literally two seconds to get to the bottom, though it's the perfect place to learn. I just think N has gotten past it and is maybe getting a little bore.

The reality is, I think his life (at least his skiing life) would be more enriched if he took a bit of chance and put himself out there. That's what life is all about, after all, and though it's safe and comfortable hiding out in your routines, he won't grow that way, and in the long run it could come back to hinder him.

So I'm thinking we'll give the T-bar a go once again. Slowly, of course.

Thanks for reading.