Lola's Skateboarding Career (And Other Beautiful Failures)

Picture this: a Therapy Dog, tail wagging with determined enthusiasm, placing one tentative paw on a child sized skateboard. The room erupts in gentle encouragement. "Come on, Lola! You can do it!"

Lola wobbles. The skateboard slides. She slips off, looks around with that classic confused-but-happy dog expression, and the child cheers anyway. "Amazing, Lola! Let's try again!"

When Children Become the Teachers

This scene has played out countless times during our school visits, and it never fails to teach me something profound about transformation, growth, and what really matters in the learning process.

One of the most beautiful things I've witnessed in our work is how naturally children slip into the role of teacher when it comes to Lola. They're determined to expand her skill set, bless them. She's been enrolled in an unofficial curriculum that includes:

Skateboarding (current success rate: enthusiastic but wobbly)

Sniffer dog training (she's excellent at finding dropped sandwiches, less successful with hidden objects)

Football skills (she's mastered the "enthusiastic ball thief" position)

Gymnastics - specifically hoop jumping (let's just say Olympic dreams remain dreams)

What strikes me every time is how the children approach these "lessons." There's no frustration when Lola doesn't master the skateboard on attempt number one hundred and fifteen. No disappointment when her football skills amount to tail wagging from the sidelines. No critique of her less-than-graceful hoop navigation.

Instead, there's pure joy in the trying. Celebration of the wobbles. Encouragement for the next attempt.

Real empathy.

The Wisdom in Wobbling

Children seem to instinctively understand something we adults often forget: the process IS the point.

When Lola steps onto that skateboard for the twentieth time, still uncertain but still willing, she's not failing at becoming a pro skateboarder. She's succeeding at being brave, at trying, at showing up for the moment. The children recognise this immediately. Their cheers aren't conditional on perfect execution - they're celebrating the beautiful mess of learning itself.

This week, our theme has been about holding space for transformation, even when it's gloriously messy. About embracing the chaos of growth rather than demanding neat, predictable progress.

Lola and her young teachers have been living this philosophy all along.

What Lola's "Failures" Teach Us

In a world obsessed with outcomes, achievements, and highlight-reel perfection, these classroom moments feel revolutionary. Here's a therapy dog who will never skateboard in the Olympics, never win Crufts for agility, never solve crimes with her detective nose.

And that's absolutely, perfectly fine.

Because what Lola does achieve is far more valuable: she shows up authentically, tries with enthusiasm, and remains completely lovable in her imperfection. She demonstrates that growth doesn't require mastery. That transformation can be wobbly and wonderful at the same time.

The children teaching her seem to understand this instinctively. They're not trying to create a perfect performer - they're enjoying the journey of discovery together. There's something deeply healing about this approach, both for the children offering patient encouragement and for any adults lucky enough to witness it.

Embracing Our Own Skateboarding Moments

As I watch these interactions, I can't help but think about our own "skateboarding moments" - those times when we're trying something new, feeling unsteady, not quite getting it right. How often do we give ourselves the same gentle encouragement these children offer Lola? How often do we celebrate our own brave attempts rather than critiquing our imperfect execution?

At the All Is Well Approach, this is what Trauma Informed practice looks like in action. Creating spaces where people - whether they're children, staff, or therapy dogs - feel safe enough to try, to wobble, to be imperfect and still be celebrated.

It's not about quick fixes or polished performances. It's about holding space for the beautiful mess of growth, learning, and becoming.

The Beautiful Mess of Real Learning

So here's to Lola's skateboarding career - may it continue to be enthusiastically mediocre. Here's to the children who celebrate every wobbly attempt. And here's to all of us learning to embrace our own imperfect processes with the same gentle encouragement.

Sometimes the most profound transformations happen not when we finally master the skateboard, but when we realise that stepping on it with hope and enthusiasm and enjoying the process is already enough.

If your school or organisation in Warrington, Widnes, Liverpool or beyond would like to explore how Trauma Informed practice and Therapy Dog interventions can support your pupils and staff, wobbles, wins, and everything in between, we’d love to chat.