Nora’s First Time Riding a Bike Without Training Wheels
No matter how old your child may be, reaching a milestone is something most parents are delighted to witness. In the beginning, we get excited for the first time our little one sleeps through the night, and utter their first word. Or, when they get a bit older, and start to get lost in imaginative play or ask if they can help with household chores.
Life is full of milestones that should be celebrated. And this weekend, just before her 7th birthday, Nora hit another milestone. This weekend, Nora rode her bicycle for the first time without training wheels!
Justin and I couldn’t be more proud of her achievement!
How did you transtion off training wheels?
To be honest, I have been itching to take her training wheels off since last fall but, Justin was against it. So, instead we lifted her training wheels a few inches off the ground to see how Nora might adjust. She did not like it.
Nora ended up favoring one side and would ride down the block lopsided, never really getting the idea that she was supposed to balance without the help of the training wheels. I think this experience might have broken her confidence a bit too. Because every time I suggested a bike ride, she chose her scooter instead.
Nevertheless, this weekend I could tell the girls needed to get some energy out. I was determined that they get some more QT with their bicycles so, off to the garage we went. Truthfully, we had a rocky start – there were tears, complaints, and threats of giving up.
So, I finally put my foot down and asked Justin to take the training wheels off of Nora’s bicycle once and for all. I just knew she was ready.
So, let me tell you how it went down…
We happen to live on a street that isn’t perfectly flat; there are a lot of slightly sloped areas that are not ideal for a beginner. So, we decided to head off to a local park. I’ve read many articles that suggest starting out on grass. However, riding on grass was just too difficult for Nora to maintain speed, and keep her balance.
It was on the baseball diamond where Nora took off in less than 60 seconds. You can tell by the huge grin on her face that the overall experience was a complete success. A victory celebrated by a family trip to Carvel for two scoops of ice cream.
