When I was 16 years old, I used to work at a bike camp in the summers. Yes, Pedalheads, for those of you in Vancouver. In the winters, I taught skiing on the weekends at Kids Kamp in Whistler. I loved helping young kids learn these new skills and to feel so proud of themselves for persevering and succeeding. I knew at 16 that I couldn’t wait to teach my own kids one day and always wondered how much pride I would feel when I helped my kiddos learn to ski and bike.
My 4 year old has been determined to learn to ride a two-wheel bike for the past week. She asks me every night after dinner if we can “go train”. We go into the back alley and I run beside her as we go up and down, with a few spills and near misses. Last night, I could tell her fear was starting to take over and she was losing her confidence in her ability to bike on her own. We stopped, faced eye-to-eye and I told her that if she was brave, she would be able to do it because her bike would know. She said, “So Mommy if I’m brave my bike will be brave, and if I’m scared my bike will be scared?” She found the perfect words, and then said “I’m going to be brave”. And off she went! We headed to the park and she biked across the entire gravel and grass fields by herself. When she stopped, she was beaming with pride.
The experience of helping my own kiddo learn to ride a bike was so much better than I ever imagined. Plus, I learned an important lesson from her. As we get older, it is easy to get stuck in our comfort zones and avoid fear at all costs. The magic happens when you push your fear aside, and just go for it.
So, I went out and bought an adult scooter because I see the kids doing it and it just looks so fun! Hopefully I can keep up with my four year old, but if not, I am sure she will provide me with some valuable words of encouragement.
I’d love to hear what you’ve done lately (or are going to do) that scared you or called on your courage. Share in the comments so that we can support each other’s failures, accomplishments and bravery!