When a 3 Year Old Thinks She Can Fly…

My daughter absolutely loves cartoons. Since the time she was born, she has always loved Mickey Mouse in particular. Recently, however, I've noticed her taking a new liking to other shows. From Vampirina to Sofia the First, Paw Patrol and now PJ Masks. If you've never seen PJ Masks, it's a cartoon show about superheroes. In the past few weeks, my daughter has begun creating capes out of blankies and declaring "I'm here to save the day!" at random. This behavior is adorable, and I never really thought twice about until we were at the park yesterday. It was a typical afternoon at Settlers Park in Meridian. (She loves going to Settlers Park for the musical instruments!) Phoenyx wasn't acting out of the ordinary. She was being her usual cautious self while climbing ladders and going down slides. I watched her climb to a medium-sized platform and look over the edge at the ground. I found this to be a little odd, but not concerning. Suddenly, Phoenyx put both her arms in the air and JUMPED OFF the ledge. It was like I saw the whole thing in slow motion. Next thing I know, she's bawling, grabbing her ankle, and saying "owwwieeee!!!" I scooped her up and began rocking her back and forth. I could tell she wasn't seriously injured and more frightened than anything else. "What made you jump off that ledge!?" I asked. She looked at me with the sweetest face and said "I was trying to be a super hero..."
My 3 year old just jumped off a playground (I'm assuming trying to fly) after watching a cartoon a few times. It's amazing how easily influenced are little ones truly are. I'm so thankful she's ok, but I feel like from now on I'm going to have to play right by her side on the playground!