Mitchell & Derek’s Super Slide Challenge

Mitchell was at the park with Derek, sporting his favorite shorts, a bright shirt, and a goofy hat perched crookedly on his head. His pacifier was firmly in his mouth, and no amount of coaxing seemed to convince him to take it out. Derek smiled, knowing Mitchell was comfortable in his own little world.

“Come on, Mitchell,” Derek encouraged, pointing to the slide. “Let’s go down the slide! It’s fun, I promise.”

Mitchell shook his head, his pacifier bobbing. “The slide’s too small,” he mumbled around it. But there was more to it than just that. Mitchell had just unloaded into his pampers, and the thought of climbing up and sliding down made him hesitant.

Derek crouched beside him, his voice gentle but firm. “I know it feels weird, but you can do it. Just force yourself into the slide. Make it work. I’ll be right here.”

Mitchell took a deep breath, feeling the warm mush against his skin. It was loud and messy, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. With Derek’s encouragement, he climbed the ladder and sat at the top of the slide.

Slowly, he pushed himself forward and slid down, the cool plastic rushing beneath him. When he reached the bottom, a grin spread across his face. “That wasn’t so bad,” he said, still sucking on his pacifier.

Derek laughed and gave him a high five. “See? I told you it’d be fun.”

Together, they spent the afternoon playing, with Mitchell learning that sometimes pushing through the uncomfortable moments could lead to unexpected fun.