My 4-year-old daughter takes on a 4-meter water slide

My daughter dislikes even the small slides at the public pool.

“You can do it, give it a try.”

Even when I say that, she won't budge an inch.

However—.

Faced with a water slide I saw at a summer festival that must have been 4 meters tall,

“I'll do it.”

she said, in just one word.

Huh?
It's taller than the building next to us, isn't it?

My son loves things like this and has been sliding down them fearlessly since he was four.

But my daughter is different.

“It's too much,” should I stop her?
But is it right to crush a budding desire to take on a challenge—?

At times like this, I worry quite a bit.

They say it's not good to preemptively say “You can't do it” or “Let's stop.” But still, this is...

While I was hesitating, I noticed what was happening around us.
Children who got scared were being carried down by the staff member.

—Well, if she can withdraw, then...

“…Okay. Let's do it.”

Next to us, an elementary school girl was saying, “That was scary.”
Maybe I should have stopped her after all...

My daughter silently climbs the stairs. She looks straight ahead, never looking back.

Her small body looks even smaller as she goes up.

—Could it be that I'm the one who's nervous?

She reaches the top and sits down.

I thought she would cry.
But she doesn't cry.

She is sitting properly with a sullen look on her face.

(Now is the time. It's okay to say if you can't do it.)

The moment I thought that,

she was given a light push by the attendant—

and she slid down.

At incredible speed. Halfway down, her body lifted into the air, and then, splash!

A huge splash.

"Waaaaah!!!"

When I picked her up, her face was all scrunched up and she was crying.

I hugged her just like that,

"You did your best. You're amazing. You were so cool."

Those words came out of my mouth naturally.

She has always been a strong-willed child, after all.

She decided to "do it," and she saw it through to the end.

That sight was magnificent.

—It would have been fine if you had cried and given up, though... you know.