Oh, to be this carefree always!

As all toddlers should be.

Sometimes we are out and about - with other toddlers and their parents, or at the park - and I will see something and have a fleeting moment where it will cross my mind how I’d love to let Arlo do that, or I’d love to not have to worry about it.

Don’t get me wrong! It’s not that Arlo has yet had to miss out on really big things. For the most part we don’t let CF hold him back, we just take some extra precautions (e.g Milton wipes, or antibac wipes or some other slight change to remove any risk for him.)

But I do have fleeting moments - something daft like when I see another child pet a goat at our local country park, or they go and run under outdoor sprinklers in a public play area, or they simply want to get soil in between their fingers, or play with dry leaves on the ground - and I just think how that’s not something I’d be comfortable with. It’s too high risk for us.

And it’s not that I wish for anything to be different for me - as Arlo’s mama there is no sacrifice that is too big, it’s never too much effort to make an activity safe and fun for him in its own CF friendly way. I’d move mountains for him to still safely be able to do whatever takes his fancy. (And that is my promise to you Arlo.)

But sometimes I do wish it was just a little more of a carefree existence for him. Maybe that sounds overdramatic. But it is how I feel sometimes.

And I know it will change and get better as Arlo gets older. I’ve already seen it get easier now he understands things that are dirty or dangerous and will avoid them if we tell him. And soon he’ll understand he must wash his hands after doing things. But it doesn’t make me sometimes wish I could let him dive head first into that muddy puddle if he wants to - and even though it gets better I guess it will never be entirely care (or worry) free!