There is one thing I want to tell you. It is a danger for parents who love their children very much and want to do everything as well as possible. That is the removal of every stone for their feet. Children must learn from their own mistakes and experience what they can and can not do. In our generation, people only have one, two or maybe three children and they want to help them as well as possible, because they think that if I praise them for everything they do, and remove anything that is difficult or a bit dangerous, they will be great adults. In my experience as a teacher, this behavior is dangerous. Then you nurture little princes and princesses who think the world revolves around them instead of being part of that world.
I do not want to suggest that you are such a parent. On the contrary, I think you are very well aware of this danger. It is more of a comment in general, 'to whom it concerns'.
I was hoping to be good cop - I am not. =)
Here it is about fail often and well. Fall and pick yourself up. She has never been in any danger but, we haven't padded our home or wrapped her in cotton wool. One thing that I have noticed is she repeats something I say to her when she feels she has done well, 'Good work.' She doesn't misuse it either as she knows when what she has done is worthy of the phrase and when it isn't. All in all, she is quite self sufficient for a 21 month baby.