A story to (hopefully!) delight you as much as it did me:
Two little boys, ages Nearly Six and Three. Exploring a wooded lot in our neighborhood with their parents (hoping to buy and build). Me, walking nearby.
ZOOM come the boys, screeching to a halt in front of me. 
Mr. Nearly Six: “HI!!!!!!!!”
Me: “HI!”
Mr. Nearly Six: “Seethathillupthere??? WeranALLthewaytothetopandcameZOOMINGbackdown. Wannasee?”
Mr. Three: “ROAAAAAAR!” (With hands up like a fierce tiger ready to attack.)
Me: “You ran ALL the way up that hill? And FAST on down? (And to Mr. Three–WOW you can ROAR just like a tiger!)”
Mr. Three: “ROOOAAAAAARRRRRR!”
Mr. Nearly Six: “Yes! WannaSee? WATCH ME!”
And off the boys sped, arms and legs pumping as they sped up up up the hill and then ZOOMED down to come, once again, screeching to a stop in front of me.
“ROAAAAARRRRRR!” went Mr. Three.
“Didyouseeus, didyouseeus?” asked Mr. Nearly Six.
Oh, YES, I did! You went ALL the way up to the top of that hill and came zooming down!
And off the boys went. I share because of how much this put a smile on my face and heart :-). Two boys, doing just what a 3 and nearly 6 ought to be doing–outside, roaring, speeding, eventually digging and marching and collecting and squishing in the mud…their eyes a-sparkling, chattering and roaring and exploring.
The parents? I so appreciated how they, too, were enjoying how their boys were playing. No “Be nice, don’t roar, say hi…” etc. Nope, they knew what Threes did. They understood Nearly Sixes. And they saw that their boys were managing their selves in just-right-ways.
They shared their intent to find a place to live that allowed their children to grow up exploring as much of the natural world as possible–sticks and mud and trees. Forts and creeks and holes to dig. Critters and plants and flowers and vegetables. Less technology. More natural world. THIS I truly appreciated and let them know the gift to their boys this intent is.
They refrained from interrupting their boys’ explorations. They erred on quiet and watching–exactly right as these two pretended, created, imagined, exerted, and experienced their parents’ confidence in their ability to manage themselves.
And manage they did. From the ROAAARRRRS of Mister Three (oh, so exactly right for a preschooler!) to the ZOOMNG of Mister Nearly Six.
Time for me to move on with my walk…
“BYE!” with huge arm waves from Mister Nearly Six.
“ROOAAAARRRR!” with claws up from Mister Three.
And off we went, our separate ways.
Enjoy your day today! I am.
Alice
Author and Parent Coach
www.denaliparentcoaching.com
©2020 Alice Hanscam