Overcoming the fear

Katelynn made some MAJOR progress today- MAJOR.. or at least it is around here. Jonathan has been dying to have her ride the lawnmower with him forever and she has been scared to death of it. We have tried time and time again to get her to drive it or get comfortable with it, but she just hasn't warmed up to it. This year she started letting him pull her wagon behind it and had no issues with it then, but yet the minute she wasn't in the comfort of her wagon, she was screaming and crying about it being scary. Just today Jonathan came around from the backyard and Katelynn started running toward me screaming and crying. He shut it off and we started telling her it was just like the "tractors" that are at Home Depot that she always jumps on. We finally got her to get on it without it running and turn the steering wheel. Then gradually we started suggesting she drive it around. It took A LOT of convincing and a compromise of her wearing Jonathan's earmuffs to drown out some of the noise. She also wanted mommy to ride with her at first... I think she knows how crazy Daddy can get at off-roading :). After a few circles around the yard, the girl was hooked! She mowed the entire lawn with Daddy and then kept asking to ride it some more. She went inside the house tonight upset that she didn't get another ride.