both my children learned to ride a bike this week

**imagine** · 06-07-2011, 10:44 AM

Buddy set a goal this summer to learn to ride a bike. I nodded politely thinking, sure you are. You see he is 14 and has never learned to ride a bike. We would try to get him learn every year but he seem to only give it half a try. Last year he said he didn't ever want to learn to ride a bike he didn't want to and said he wasn't going to. So I nod politely when he says he will this summer that he will learn to ride.

He heads outside by himself and returns in 10 mins.

Then he comes back in and says "10 mins into summer and I have knocked out the goal" Sure enough, I head out to see him ride and it looks like he has been riding forever. He looks like every other teenager riding a bike.

Hubby frustrated because he had spent years trying to motivate and encouraging his son to ride a bike asked "So what motivated you?" Buddy mentioned me talking about how a top spinning stays up right when moving fast and falls when it slows down. Then he says "I guess I just had to wait for my brain to understand physics before I could ride"

He learned without so much as a scratch or a bump or bruise

Now Little Miss wanted to chase after her big brother, like always, so she learned this week to ride to. She looks like every other child learning to ride a bike wobbly and determined. Along with an assortment of bumps scratches and bruises. Along with neighbors asking her if she is alright every time she falls in their yard.

Another lesson/reminder for me yet again:
We all learn and achieve in different ways and at different times. We all are completely unique.

**Ali Lee** · 06-07-2011, 12:39 PM

I was 12. Buddy is a-ok in my book.

**Russ** · 06-07-2011, 01:02 PM

What an outstanding story! Thanks for sharing!

**frugal is fun** · 06-07-2011, 01:13 PM

Thats Great! riding bikes opens up so much more adventure and gives them so much more independence! I love riding bikes with my son, for us it has opened up a whole new way for us to spend time together having fun and being active.

Congratulations to them both!

**pollypurebred39** · 06-07-2011, 01:54 PM

My youngest is 17 and never learned how, despite lots of goes. He is adamant that he just has no interest in opening up his knee again (bad wound, intense scar) from the last time he tried. I'd love to see him give it another go. Your Buddy has given me hope that one day he'll try again.

**frugalwarrior2** · 06-07-2011, 02:08 PM

WTG
Everyone is diff. My Ds was 3. He would have been 2 but I kept putting the training wheels back on! DD was 7.
Now my mom-well she drove the 3 wheeler into a ditch. Thank goodness she doesn't drive a car.

**nuisance26** · 06-07-2011, 05:09 PM

~That story just made my day! We do everything to encourage our kids to ride too but they are just not interested.
DH and I just know how much we loved riding as kids and the feeling of freedom and confidence it gave us. We want that for our kids. But I don't want to pressure them. I know they have gross motor and coordination issues that they need to work through first.
I'm waiting for them to learn on their own time too.

~