Riding to Our Next Milestone

Another big milestone in our lives - TJ is learning to ride his bike!

TJ has been reluctant to try his bike without training wheels for over a year.  I can see it on his face every time he tries and loses his balance.  It's the look of absolute panic of not being in control.  Like his sister, he seems to struggle with balance on the bike.  It took Samantha years to learn to ride a bike and to this day I think she'd rather walk. 

I spent a lot of my pre-teen years on a bike.  I had a metallic brown bike with a banana seat and chopper style handle bars.  My parents got me a white oval plate with a black 7 on it.  Before the first BMX bikes ever hit the street this bike was the coolest thing around.

Jumps, stunts, skids, speed; I lived on that bike as did my friends. We stayed out all day and only came home for dinner when someone's mom would call for dinner.  Literally.  A mom would open the door to that kid's house and yell, "DINNER!" And in anticipation of the next question would also yell, "Now!"

Honestly, TJ is an inside kid.  Anything that has to do with being outside only last for a few minutes before he's tired, or thirsty, or wants to ask mom a question - just to get inside again.  I really hope this is a phase he grows out of soon.  And with the coming of the spring and more kids on the street to play with since last fall I am hoping the phase ends this year.  The only traffic on my street is people who live on it and if he is outside playing until we call him for dinner that would be okay with me.  Less time on the computer and on line and more time outside.

And now he is riding his bike.  It's coming to him much more quickly than in the past.  Yes, he cried when I told him we were taking off the training wheels but he was really proud of himself for not falling and riding as far as he did without me holding on to him!  And praise works.  I tell TJ over and over again how awesome he is for riding his bike.

We need to work on braking and steering.  Those are concepts that he still needs to work on.  So is taking his feet off the pedals when he stops so he can keep up right.  The poor guy forgets that without his training wheels he will fall over unless he puts his feet on the ground.

He's doing better every time he gets on it.  And there's the lesson:

You're going to fall over from time to time.  In fact, sometimes you're going to crash.  However, it's how you pick yourself up and try again that will ultimately measure success.  In life you only get training wheels for so long.

Go TJ.  Go!