Training Wheels

Well in May Michael finally made the move to get them off for good. I took them off when he was 5 and said that's it, they are not going back on and hoped he would learn to do without them if he wanted to ride. Well that didn't work, I couldn't stand the whining and him never wanting to ride since he couldn't do it and didn't want to try to do it without the training wheels. So to make it easy, I put them back on and just let him ride. He loves to ride his bike so very much, I just felt bad taking that from him. So then I said fine at 6 they are coming off for good, April 14th I planned to take them off and be done with them. Well life got busy and time got away from us as always and I never had time to do it. For a month he kept asking mom why haven't you taken them off yet?. I again was too afraid, I didn't want to mess with the whines, the holding on to him, the frustration of trying and trying. He kept asking, I kept saying another day. Well finally on May 24th he came to me and very sternly said he wanted them off, it was time to take them off. So I thought.. worth a shot. I pulled out the wrench and did it real quick. I was surprised, he was really ready. He took off as soon as I pushed him and got him going. HE rode and rode. and he never crashed in the street. He is one smart cookie and somehow figured out that if he rode up in the driveway and then into the grass it was a nice soft cushiony place to land and not get hurt, so he did that over and over all day long. He was not able to hold the bike, get on and learn to push off with one foot yet and get himself started so I did that for about a 1.5 months longer, but that was not a big deal, once he got going he could ride and ride and did so well not even crashing. Well now it is July, he can do so much more. He can slow down and stop and not crash, he can stop, rest with the bike and keep it standing up, not crashing over. He even took the bike a few times to bike day at his daycare. After he came home the first day from that he could start all by himself too. It is amazing what lil kids can teach each other and what they will try for each other, that parents can't do or they won't do for us. So now he starts by himself, stops, slows down, watches for traffic and he is learning tricks too. He practices wheelies, going real fast and putting his legs up on the middle bar, or both spread eagle out to his sides as he cruises down the street. He LOVES his bike. Here are a few shots from the day the training wheels came off for good.