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Last Thursday, my 10-year-old spotted the city transit map posted at the bus stop. “Can I read it?” she asked, studying the colorful lines and stops. Instead of automatically taking over, I remembered our family’s commitment to the Life-Ready approach. I handed her the map and said, “You’re in charge of getting us to the museum today.” The look of excitement mixed with nervousness on her face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice transit navigation leadership in a low-stakes environment. ...

Last Wednesday, my 8-year-old asked if she could walk to the corner store to buy a candy bar. It was only 3 blocks away, and we’d walked there together dozens of times. Instead of automatically saying no, I paused and remembered our family’s commitment to the Life-Ready approach. I told her she could go, but I’d follow at a distance to make sure she was safe. The look of excitement and nervousness on her face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice independence in a low-stakes environment. ...