Around the time I turned 40, I decided to join a triathlon club.

To give you some perspective on this decision, my parents still tell the story of when, as a young child, I ran into a pool, sank to the bottom and sat there until my frantic Mom pulled me out.

While, I’m guessing there’s a bit of hyperbole in this story, one thing is true: I am NOT a natural born swimmer.

But I was determined. I bought a neon yellow swim cap so the boats could see me in the water. Every Friday morning at 6am, my swim buddy Christine and I, practiced in the Intracoastal waterway along Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.

Now, I’m not sure if you’ve ever had the opportunity to swim a distance in the ocean. If you have, then you know that I couldn’t see anything. At all! It was dark and sometimes things touched me. I was not okay with this!  In my mind every bump was a shark–but again I was determined.

My mantra became “Safety Bubble.”

Do you remember Sydney in the article about using Curiosity as a way to engage with a child?

When you as a parent, educator, or professional are trying to help Sydney, it can be challenging to know what to do or where to look for solutions.

One of the biggest things I’ve found that holds people back in life is isolation. If you are attempting to get yourself unstuck on your own, you don’t know how to move forward and everything stops.

If you’re having a struggle with your child, your student or your client and you’re uncertain of what to do, where do you begin?

You’ve been enjoying a gorgeous spring day on the playground. You announce, “It’s time to go,” and expect Sydney to head into the school building or hop into the car.

Instead you:

Hear a defiant, “No!”

Hear whining complaints and pleas for “just five more minutes.”

Or Sydney melts down and runs off to hide in the playground tunnel.

If this is your child, your student or you’re hearing this story from your client’s parent in your office, what do you do or suggest?