Learning to Ride Without Training Wheels

My six-year old son has been asking to take the training wheels off his bike. We had a nice day weather-wise today, so we decided it was time to give it a try.

I was there to hold on and catch him. He was able to go a few feet before tipping over. There was a lot of "I can't do this." I told him he shouldn't say that, because if he does, then he'll never learn. I also found myself getting impatient.

It's funny. I thought back to how, in various endeavors, I myself said "I can't do this." And yet, when I kept at it and put my mind to it, I could. I remembered back to early 1987, when, as a 16-year old, my father was trying to teach me to drive stick shift. There was a lot of "I can't do this" then on my part, too. I frustrated him, a lot.

But, somehow, I kept at it, and got the hang of it. Now, all these years later, I find myself telling my son not to give up, to keep practicing, and that he can do it. I have to tell him what I have to still remind myself to do.