We have a firstborn who frightens easily. She is scared often and we really struggle with this. And I mean we when I say we. As her parents we see her give in to fear so often and it really causes her to miss out on wonderful opportunities. Like refusing to ride any rides at Disneyland, or swim in a pool to name a couple. Because of this dilemma, starting new things is often hard for her. She has to be shown over and over that she won't be 'hurt'.
Well you can imagine how hard that can be! 5 year olds are always getting hurt! It's a natural part of learning. Never the less, we struggle on.
But today, we had a VICTORY! She successfully learned to ride a two-wheeler! Remember how that felt? The freedom? The wind in your hair? Riding in the street for the first time? The FEAR of falling?
I am proud to say that we found a super secret to help all those parents with kids learning to ride a bike! Not all kids hop on at age 3 and off they go (like Joel on Jon & Kate + 8), remember that episode? I was so shocked to see him ride off like that. Well that was not Gracie! She really wanted to but that falling risk was just to great for her and she could not quite get the balance thing down.
So what's the secret you ask??
A SCOOTER! Technically I think they call them 'Racers' but really they are the same scooters we had only re-invented.
We bought her one for Christmas and she loved it. At first she wasn't to sure how it worked. She would kind of hop along side it as she went down the hall way. Then as it got warmer outside she saw the neighbor girl whizzing down the street... with both feet on the scooter... how did she do it she asked? Balance. Something Gracie really struggles with, literally and figuratively.
She began trying to go longer and longer between pushes. Then I blinked and she was whizzing down the street too! Her Dad and I realized she had learned balance! Dare we hope that she might be ready to take off the training wheels on her bike that has sat useless for months? I knew in my mommy heart that she could do it. That special something had clicked in her brain. Balance had wedged itself between the flight or fight reaction! We took off the trainers and off she went. No Daddy running behind her picture. Just off on her own.
How did it happen? What did we learn as parents? Two things: Low point of gravity and no fear of falling. The scooter did both of those. She was able to practice the skill of balance without fear and slowly. Riding a scooter is like riding a bike- a low rider bike but none the less a bike.
She is the eldest. The cautious one. And why wouldn't she be. She's the first- the one we 'be care-fulled' and 'don't do that' and did everything for. That's what you do with the first. You hold their hand all the time and sometimes into childhood too. The second born? The third? Please, you are way out of hands by them. They learn by watching. The middle child runs head first into the wall just to see what will happen. Do you go running to say stop? No. You are nursing the baby and just laugh instead!
But I digress. The point of this post? To relay the two wheeler super secret: A SCOOTER.
