Learning How to Ride a Bike

Last Friday, Rebecca had the boys somewhere and I was sitting in the back yard thinking about Jake not yet being potty trained and Will not yet knowing how to ride a bike. So, damn it, I went into the garage and took off those freaking training wheels with a single mission on my mind: I WILL teach Will how to ride a bike; he WILL learn how to do it today. Man, I was pumped. This was going to be it. This was going to be great.

They got home from wherever they were and came inside. I probably freaked Will out with my expression of wild enthusiasm as I exclaimed, "Will, I'm going to teach you how to ride a bike today! ARE YOU READY? YEAH!" Will fed off my energy and said, "OKAY!" So, we pulled the bike out and he got on.

I made a couple mistakes.

I first shouldn't have worn flip-flops. They make for a difficult time for a 6'2.5" man running while bent over a small bike with a novice, little rider trying two wheels for the first time. I also shouldn't have assumed that this little boy, who had never once ridden a bike without help, would suddenly understand all the little mechanical things, like keeping his head and eyes forward without looking behind him to make sure I was still there.

Avoiding crashes, Will successfully accomplished a full second of unassisted riding. Stepping back from myself, I told Will what a great job he did. I realized my second (okay, third) mistake was in forgetting that, no matter the age, a person is his own, with his own motivations, regardless of the desire or will I wish to affect on him to do something new. I learned this lesson about adults a long time ago, but it was a gentle reminder to me that he and Jake will do things on their own time...

...when they're ready.