A couple of weeks ago our baby started taking his first steps. We did not get his true first steps on camera, but we did the next day. As a dad, having your wife there with you to see his first steps is a blessing. We were so happy to see our little baby seem so grown up. While he is growing up and learning how to walk, I am trying to teach him a major life lesson.

We have been working on the walking for a while before he took his first steps. It started with a walker, moved into finger holding walking and then walking across the couch, to finally him pushing a little kid’s grocery cart. My son is now learning how to walk by taking more and more steps each day.

His first steps started when my wife and I were about to go on an errand. We got Rylan ready to go in the cold, jacket and all. My wife still had to put on her shoes. Rylan was leaning against her and I told him to walk to me. My wife got him standing by himself. Concentrating as hard as he could, Rylan took 6 steps right to me. It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen as a dad or in life in general. I saw my baby boy take his first steps! His mom was cheering him on too.

Now that Rylan is taking his first steps, we have been working on more and more steps each day. He walks to mom and then walks to dad. He is also walking to walk from one piece of furniture to the next. It is fun to see his progress.

What is the biggest lesson a baby can learn when they are learning how to walk? The biggest lesson is to pick yourself up and try again. Every time Rylan falls when we are practicing walking, I pick him right back up and tell him, “What do we do when we fall down? We pick ourselves up and try again!” He keeps on trying.

Too many people give up on themselves. They learn to accept failure and not care about success. Teach your kids to reach for the top and have them learn it is OK to fall as long as they learn from it and try again.

Dads, pick yourself up and try again.

Video note: It is awesome to see my son enjoy his successes in walking.  We cheer him on and he cheers himself on.