Late Bloomer
Some things, Dex did early.
Some things – they are coming way late. Like riding his bike.
My boy turns 10 next month and he just really got the hang of that two-wheeled contraption about a month ago.
There are lots of reasons for it. We live in an urban neighborhood, near big streets that make it hard to just let him ride around solo. We have a crazy schedule and it just never made it to the top of our priorities. Mostly, he just didn’t want to.
Every year we would try, and he would give a half-hearted effort and then declare it just wasn’t his thing.
Meanwhile, kids half his age – literally – were driving circles around him. Our best friend’s son who is four learned to ride his bike this summer.
I could tell Dex was a bit embarrassed by this, but also didn’t care enough to REALLY be bothered.
So, in the end, he was ready now, and he did it.
He is tooling around with a sense of accomplishment and freedom that is hard to beat.
Finally.
How about you? Any late bloomers?
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Hard to believe it now, but I really struggled to learn to ride a bike when I was a kid.
I struggled to learn to swim, and so did my kids.
Snowkitten – did you have trouble physically? I think it was that PLUS a mental game for Dex.
My sister to this day still can’t ride a bike. Too many bad spills, and she was just DONE.
My oldest and Lindsay learned to ride the same day. My oldest was almost exactly Dex’s age, he was a month from turning 10. He had always been too freaked out by it before. One day, it all finally just clicked. (His little sister learning in about 5 minutes gave him the extra motivation, I’m sure.)
I was 7 before I learned to ride mine. BB is 6.5… and not there yet. We now live in a neighborhood that works for learning, but he seems to have inherited some of my … well, we can call them motor problems, but really we’re just a klutzy breed. I imagine he’ll get there. Sometime.
Thanks for sharing that my kid isn’t the only who can’t ride a bike. I was feeling guilty about it just yesterday.
Oh,yes! Jocelyn has no desire to ride her bike while her brother can pop wheelies and ride down up and down mountains. You and Dex have just reminded me that it will happen only when she wants it to happen. Thanks!
You learned way before me and I got real tired of watching you zoom away really fast. And you tied your shoes first too. So annoying. I think the only place I ever beat you was on the diving board. You kicked my butt everywhere else.
My 8yo has *zero* desire to ride a bike. This is compounded by the fact that we live on a semi-busy street and the other kids don’t ride their bikes. It drives my Dutch husband batty.
The 8yo does, however, love rollercoasters.