Okay, I am behind on posting anything. I have become behind because there has not been any one event worth a post, but I have been buried with lots of things going on.
First lets talk about Gracie. She is learning to ride without training wheels. She decided that she wanted to do this about two weeks ago. She asked me to take the wheels off because all the other kids had theirs off and she was a big girl too, so I needed to take hers off as well. This should mean she is ready, right? Right? RIGHT??
Not so much...........
My poor daughter doesn't even know what the word balance means. She still rides her little scooter with one foot on the ground all the time. I used this as one of a hundred different ways to try and teach her what balance meant. I suggested that she pick up her foot and once she was moving keep her other leg up off the ground and just let the scooter roll. She then responded with , " sure daddy, like this?" She then proceeded to pull her pushing foot off the ground and bent it at the knee and stuck it off in the air to her left side until she lost her balance and stomped it back to the ground to push again and repeated this about 6 times. " like that daddy?"
No, not like that, she looked like a drunk monkey ninja trying to snap kick imaginary dwarf testicles and stomp on chicken toes as she lumbered down the sidewalk. It was the goofiest darn thing I had ever seen in my life.
Not like that sweety. I tried to explain it again, complete with visuals as best as I could. The result was pretty near the same. This time she just didn't bend her knee as much and just stuck her leg straight out in front of her like a jousting spear.
We moved on to the bike again.
She gets sooooooooooooooo very frustrated with the whole thing, but to give her credit, she just refuses to give up. She will not say, enough is enough for today, let try again tomorrow. She wants to go until she gets it.
I have tried every method I have ever heard of or could make up on the fly. We have gone up and down hills, I have held her shoulders, her seat, her back, her handlebars, her head and even held nothing at all. We have done the street, the sidewalk and the grass. We have gone fast, slow and standing still. We have done short runs, and all the way around the neighborhood. I have run out of gas and ideas.
Enter the teens.
I just happened to have a guest the other evening. One of Gracie's bestest teenager girlfriends. A young lady from the old neighborhood. She offered to help, and off they went. 20 minutes later she comes in with the diagnosis of OMG, its hopeless. She wont go fast enough is the opinion. I agree, but I also know she rides her training wheels with such a starboard list that she cant get fast before falling down. I feel more discouraged than ever. Next comes this Saturday and Gracie's bestest teenager girlfriend babysitter from church. They decide to have a go. Things got a little better. This report came in that Gracie rode four of five pedals all on her own without falling over. This is HUGE progress. So, Sunday evening, I wanted to reinforce what Gracie had learned. Gracie might have learned something, but I still haven't. She still is about as balanced as one armed clothes hanger. She did inform me, (over and over again) that I was doing it wrong, but she couldn't get across to me what her bestest friend from church was doing that helped. I need reinforcements to come back, and soon.
The best part, or worst part, is that once she gets it, I will need a bike too. I cant keep up with her otherwise. My rather girthy self hasnt fit on a bike since I was about 12, so this should be entertaining all in itself.
As for the other goings on, I will save them for later posts...........
First lets talk about Gracie. She is learning to ride without training wheels. She decided that she wanted to do this about two weeks ago. She asked me to take the wheels off because all the other kids had theirs off and she was a big girl too, so I needed to take hers off as well. This should mean she is ready, right? Right? RIGHT??
Not so much...........
My poor daughter doesn't even know what the word balance means. She still rides her little scooter with one foot on the ground all the time. I used this as one of a hundred different ways to try and teach her what balance meant. I suggested that she pick up her foot and once she was moving keep her other leg up off the ground and just let the scooter roll. She then responded with , " sure daddy, like this?" She then proceeded to pull her pushing foot off the ground and bent it at the knee and stuck it off in the air to her left side until she lost her balance and stomped it back to the ground to push again and repeated this about 6 times. " like that daddy?"
No, not like that, she looked like a drunk monkey ninja trying to snap kick imaginary dwarf testicles and stomp on chicken toes as she lumbered down the sidewalk. It was the goofiest darn thing I had ever seen in my life.
Not like that sweety. I tried to explain it again, complete with visuals as best as I could. The result was pretty near the same. This time she just didn't bend her knee as much and just stuck her leg straight out in front of her like a jousting spear.
We moved on to the bike again.
She gets sooooooooooooooo very frustrated with the whole thing, but to give her credit, she just refuses to give up. She will not say, enough is enough for today, let try again tomorrow. She wants to go until she gets it.
I have tried every method I have ever heard of or could make up on the fly. We have gone up and down hills, I have held her shoulders, her seat, her back, her handlebars, her head and even held nothing at all. We have done the street, the sidewalk and the grass. We have gone fast, slow and standing still. We have done short runs, and all the way around the neighborhood. I have run out of gas and ideas.
Enter the teens.
I just happened to have a guest the other evening. One of Gracie's bestest teenager girlfriends. A young lady from the old neighborhood. She offered to help, and off they went. 20 minutes later she comes in with the diagnosis of OMG, its hopeless. She wont go fast enough is the opinion. I agree, but I also know she rides her training wheels with such a starboard list that she cant get fast before falling down. I feel more discouraged than ever. Next comes this Saturday and Gracie's bestest teenager girlfriend babysitter from church. They decide to have a go. Things got a little better. This report came in that Gracie rode four of five pedals all on her own without falling over. This is HUGE progress. So, Sunday evening, I wanted to reinforce what Gracie had learned. Gracie might have learned something, but I still haven't. She still is about as balanced as one armed clothes hanger. She did inform me, (over and over again) that I was doing it wrong, but she couldn't get across to me what her bestest friend from church was doing that helped. I need reinforcements to come back, and soon.
The best part, or worst part, is that once she gets it, I will need a bike too. I cant keep up with her otherwise. My rather girthy self hasnt fit on a bike since I was about 12, so this should be entertaining all in itself.
As for the other goings on, I will save them for later posts...........
2 comments:
Hmmmm.....balance. can she stand on one foot for more than 30 seconds at a time? that would at least give her an idea of balance & if she's listing to starboard on the bike, try having her stand on that foot alone for a bit. It couldn't hurt and it might be fun to watch!
~Lois
We tried that, and hopscotch too. She is getting better though......
Post a Comment