F is obsessed with the movie Cars, so for his 4th birthday we got him a Lightning McQueen bike (the main character in the movie for those of you without boys). Our neighbor Matthew has a bike, and F wanted a big boy bike of his own. It came in a box, so he and Mark put it together and he immediately jumped on and started riding. We have a pool in our neighborhood, and the next day he wanted to ride his bike to the pool.
Here he is on the way to the pool. Please notice that he is smiling.
He was not super fast, but we got there and played for a while before heading home. About half way back he got going a little too fast crossing a sloped driveway and he fell. He cried a little, but there was no blood (he has some permanent scars on his knees from previous battles with the sidewalk), so he got back up and rode home. A couple days later, he rode around the block with me no problem. A few days later Mark took him and he cried the entire time, saying he was scared of falling?! I talked to him about it and tried to assure him he would be fine, "You've fallen before and didn't get hurt, right?" YES, but I don't want to go fast. "No problem, go slow until you get more confident", I urged. NO, he said. We talked about it a lot and he was insistent about his fear of falling. I'm talking tears, big fat heaving sobs. I gave him a few days away from it thinking it would pass. So one afternoon I said let's go ride your bike. He was reluctant, but I promised him he did not have to go fast or far, just ride around in the garage a little. As soon as we got the bike out he started crying. What to do? " I told him he had to do three circles in the garage or we would have to pack up his cars and trucks and give them away. Not my finest parenting moment, I KNOW, but I was sure it would work (he LOVES his cars), and I knew once he got back on it he would be fine. Boy did I back myself into a corner. He sat on it...sobbing but would not peddle. After about 5 minutes of trying to talk him into it, he said let's go pack up my cars. WHAT!?!? So I had no choice, I had to follow through and we packed up all the cars and trucks and he sat in a chair thinking about it for about an hour.
So we go to Florida and get away from the whole bike fiasco for a week. I was hoping it help, but as soon as I mentioned going for a ride he started making excuses. So I made him a deal. He has been wanting a Cars 2 track, so we bought one, but I told him he couldn't open it until he rode to the stop sign and back. Again, I know I'm not up for mom of the year, but I was getting desperate. Well, it was not pretty and we went through a number of tissues because he cried almost all the way there (my neighbors must think I'm crazy), but he did it! Of course, I haven't mentioned the stupid bike to him in a week. Sigh.....
So here is the track and F explaining what's going to happen.
His reward for riding his bike.
