At Children's Garden, we do not usually help children get to places they cannot go themselves. For example, we do not lift up a child and put him or her on the slide. Children need to do it themselves. Language we use is"How can I help you get to where you would like to go?" If a child desires to do something that seems a bit out of reach, we say, "You may try, but you don't have to". Children learn to make decisions for themselves by being in the situation, not by ideas. It is very real. Children become very creative finding ways to meet their desires. Pretty much the only thing staff offers is her knee to be used as a step to climb when it comes to climbing trees. How about getting down? We tell children, "Good climbers also know how to get down". It seems so logical. When children first come to preschool, they expect to get help from staff. This can become a dependence game. Recently Annelise's leg got caught while she was trying to get down. I wondered if she was going to call for help or remembered how to get it out. It took her a while, but she figured a way to get herself back up in a higher position and swung her leg over the branch. She got down to the ground with her chest open and standing tall!