"T" cups

This toddler is all over the house and curious about everything. 

He found these tea cups in the back of a bottom cupboard the other day while

I was making supper.

Normally I would abruptly stop him and say No! You can't play

with glass tea cups.  It's too dangerous!  They could break!

But instead I paused and saw that he recognized that they were more 

fragile than his regular toys.

He was gently taking them out of the cupboard one by one and 

stacking them together.

That's when I realized that I have to allow him to 

test out new things.  Touch and play with new things.  

After all... how else do you know glass breaks unless you drop it?

How does a parent find the balance between allowing there child

to explore and keeping them safe?

We recently read an old book called The Runaway Bunny and 

the little bunny is saying to his mom.  I want to go climb the highest mountain 

but the mommy bunny doesn't say, "No, you can't climb a mountain, you are too little,

or it's too dangerous."  Instead she says if you climb the highest mountain than

I will be the rocks you can climb to get to the top. (I'm paraphrasing)

That mommy bunny figured out a way to let her child 

explore but to be there and keep him safe at the same time.  Easier said than done...

Until I find that balance as a parent it may be a 

learning curve for both of us.