My first son, Michael, never questioned anything. He played happily with toys that were safe and avoided any area that was threatening. Then Brandon came along. Brandon, the more typical of the two, was the first one to notice, at an early seven months, that the cable cords behind the TV could be reached easiest by climbing straight through the bottom of the VCR shelf. And when I said, “No!” he would head in the other direction at about 90 miles an hour with a grin on his face that I can’t describe without laughing. He knew he shouldn’t be doing what he was doing! I realized early on that I needed to come up with a strategic plan that would allow him to be safe while still encouraged to explore and be adventurous. It was exhausting, so I’m happy to share it with you in hopes it may make your life easier.
