Sunday 22 September 2013

Two wheels are enough

Do you remember training your child on the bicycle with two wheels ? What did your kid tell you ? Was he afraid ? What was the balance like ? Did he pedal or tried to get on the bike without feet on the front pedal ? Did he remember how to brake ? What was making the curves like ? Tell me your story, here is mine...

What a day, Papi put the bicycle in top of the table. And now he is all over the table with lot's of things from his toolbox.
"Papi, what are you doing?", asked the little girl.
"We are going to take the supporting wheels out of your bicycle"
"Wow..." shouted excitedly the little girl.
Papi was doing things on the bicycle, but the little girl was not convinced he knew what he was supposed to do. She got afraid when Papi came with a big hammer to hit the bicycle.
"Oh No! Papi, you are making the bicycle kaput!"
But Papi continued hammering, tweaking, screwing, moving, and shouting lot of loud words...
After a full hand of minutes passed, and another hand of minutes, and two more hands of minutes, Papi showed the bicycle to the little girl. The bicycle looked perfect, just two wheels, and the little girl got a new toy, two extra wheels to play at home!
They both got dressed, Papi went with the little girl to pick up clothes to go for the bike ride. Nice comfortable clothes, tight to not get into the bicycle wheels, and that could protect a fall. Papi went to fetch all the protecting stuff. Put the hard plastic protectors on the knees, on the elbows and on the hands. She could fall and not get hurt. The little girl practiced going against the wall. Banged loudly with the shoulders on the wall.
"Look Papi, look, I do not get hurt.", said the little girl proudly as she banged against the wall with the elbow protectors.
Papi picked up her helmet, and placed on the little girl.
Papi picked up the bicycle and went downstairs with the little girl.
"Let's go to the big area with no cars.", said Papi.
"Yeah!", ran the little girl down the stairs.
Once at the protected parking lot, Papi placed the bicycle on the ground, and the little girl jumped on the bicycle. Papi held the bicycle and the little girl sat with her feet on the pedals. The little girl started peddling, and not more than 1 meter had passed, Papi had already let go of the bicycle, the little girl was riding all alone, with perfect balance.
But Papi was afraid that the little girl could fall, he rad side by side with the little girl to help her break at the end of the straight line. At the end, Papi helped with the bicycle once more and turned the bicycle back. The little girl peddled once more and there she went.
The little girl rode 50 meters.
The little girl rode 70 meters.
The little girl rode 70 turned and did 30 meters more.
The little girl rode 100 meters.
The little girl made a pause, she was tired, she was very concentrated in getting her balance, but the confidence was getting better and better.
And after the little pause she got back on the bicycle and without the help from Papi made turns and turns on the parking lot.
Now the little girl was back and told Mamma the stories of a little champion that went very very fast with a bicycle just like the fast train. The little girl wants to go for a ride with Papi and Mamma, every one with their own bicycle, and nobody with supporting wheels.

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