For some reason, my kids are really comforted by boundaries. When given the freedom to run and play, they generally choose not to. When in a safe environment, I try to encourage them to exert their freedom, but they just don't. They'll choose one spot and observe the world from there. When we leave a gate open, they rarely cross it. Even if they do, they'll generally just amuse themselves by going in and out of the gate, never really leaving it.
Twice today, they exerted their desire for boundaries. I took them out to the backyard and let them play while I blew bubbles. After about 20 minutes, they climbed back onto the deck which is basically just an outdoor cage and didn't want to come back down. This afternoon, we went out to the front, which is a driveway, an open rock garden, and free access to the cul de sac. They pretty much wouldn't leave the driveway and then after 10 minutes, they both marched themselves back to the front door, went inside, headed straight for their playroom and closed the gate behind them! They purposely caged themselves in!
Um, yay? This certainly makes life with toddlers easier, but I hope they'll get a little more adventurous at some point. Easier doesn't always mean better. Then again, easier is a whole lot easier.
As a single mother of toddler twins that do the opposite of yours, I must say there was some envy while reading this (oh, the park we tried to play at this weekend!). But the grass is always greener on the other side, I am sure.
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