This post is sponsored by Lunchbox. All opinions are my own.
Being a mom is pretty much like being on a roller coaster. There are highs and lows, moments of terror, moments of thrilling happiness and moments that you feel you are going way too fast. Sometimes you are blissful with the wind in your hair, and then all of a sudden it twists and turns and scares the bajeesus out of you. This is motherhood. Full of highs and lows, full of bliss and terror all at the same time, and an overall feeling that things are going by too quickly.
Judah only has 2 weeks of school left, and sometimes I wish I could slow things down. It’s not that I don’t want him to grow – I love seeing him bloom and become the big kid that he is, but it is bittersweet. He was my first baby, but he isn’t a baby anymore. Every day I see something new and more “grown up” in him that makes me wonder how in the world I got so lucky to be his mom. And in those moments, when he beats all odds and shows me that he can do anything, I feel the best kind of happiness. He is amazing, and he is mine.
We have had a lot of firsts these past few years, and right now we are in the middle of another one: his first bike. I know he is a little late in that regard, but coordination and agility are not his strong suit. In academics he blows other kids out of the water, but every child has that one thing they need a little extra help in. I feel like he is finally ready to cross that bridge now, so a few weeks ago we went out to Toys R Us and let him pick out a bike. He chose a 16 inch Schwinn Burnout SmartStart bike along with a helmet, and then we set out to teach him to ride!
Learning how to ride a bike is one of those big events in childhood that everyone remembers well into their adult years. I remember how I learned – my dad would hold on to me while I pedaled, and then once I got up to speed he let go. And yes, I quickly learned how to avoid the whole crash and burn scenario! But like all things that change with time, that was the “then” way of learning to ride. These days it is a little different, and it all starts with choosing the right bike. For Judah, the Schwinn 16 inch Burnout SmartStart bike was the perfect choice. It is easy to balance, lightweight, has a seat sized just right for him, is safe to learn on because it is less wobbly, and like all their bikes, it has a limited lifetime warranty for as long as we own it. The brand itself is a classic, and being established in 1895, Schwinn is the go-to resource for recreational bike riders. Toys “R” Us has the largest selection of 16″ bikes for kids, so buying there was a no-brainer!
Once we got the bike put together, we walked up to the school in front of our house and let him ride around with the training wheels to get used to it. He loved it!
After a little while, we followed the instructions in Schwinn’s “How To Reach a Child to Ride” video by taking off the pedals and training wheels, then letting him practice gliding on his own. You can check out the video below this post – it seriously changed the way we thought about bike riding and it is absolutely genius!
I don’t think he is quite ready for training wheel free riding yet, because once he got to that point he insisted on Robert holding on to him. But, with more practice, some determination, and a little bit of patience, he will get there!
If you have a child who is ready for a bike, check out this infographic with some basics to help you out along the way:
Once you are ready to ditch the training wheels, try this method:
And, last but not least, enter for a chance to WIN a $400 Family Fun Ride prize pack!
