Another Highly Successful Bribe

George hit a major milestone today--he rode a bike (without assistance) for the first time. I've been waiting for this day for a long time! What led up to today's achievement was quite different from my own experience as a kid....

I first rode a bike when I was about 5, in the alley behind our house in California, aided by one of my older siblings--I think it was my brother Michael. It was a perfect place to learn to ride, because it was flat and there was hardly ever any traffic on it. I still remember the thrill of when Michael (or was it Drew? Not sure--I really only remember what was ahead of me!), who was running along beside me and holding me up, let go and I just kept going. I was on a green bike with a banana seat that I had been given for Christmas, that my dad had put together at his workbench in our garage.

Before Christmas I had actually walked in on my dad in the garage when he was working on it. He was so cool, though: when I asked what it was, he said, in highly conspiratorial tones, that it was Drew's Christmas present, and he swore me to secrecy. I remember sitting there with him for a long time as he worked on it, and I even still remember the thrill I felt at knowing something that my older brother didn't, something that was going to be a wonderful surprise for him. (I didn't know enough to be able to tell that it was a girl's bike!) It's actually one of the earliest sustained memories I have of my dad--along with some snippets of times at the dinner table and several happy memories of him on family camping trips.

On Christmas morning that year I remember being extra excited as I ran downstairs with my siblings--I wasn't even thinking about what I was going to get. I just couldn't *wait* to see Drew's reaction to the shiny green bike he was getting and that I had "helped" my dad with. But he instead was over oohing and ahhing over a different bike that was next to it, a bigger, red one. I said to him, Drew, come over here--this is your Christmas present! This is your bike! And my dad said to me, No, Honey; that's *your* bike! It's for you! Well, I was just blown away. It was completely magical. The fact that I had already seen it and had thought it was Drew's actually added to its value in my eyes. Being the youngest of 4 (by far--Drew was the closest to me and he was 7 years my senior), I pretty much idolized my siblings, and wanted to be just like them. I couldn't have been happier with that bike if Santa himself had handed it over to me personally.

I could not wait to learn how to ride it. I'm not sure how long after that it was that Michael and I took it out back to the alley where he taught me to ride it, but it can't have been long. The whole thing is one of my favorite childhood memories.

George, on the other hand, could not have been less interested in bicycles! Ok, not quite true--he loved riding on his little preschooler bike. But once I got him a scooter, the bike sat in the garage, along with the newer bike I bought him when he'd outgrown that one. Several times a year I'd ask him if he wanted to learn how to ride his bike, but he'd always answer that he just wasn't interested, that he was happy with his scooter. I'd tried talking his dad into taking him to a park and teaching him, but although his dad agreed in theory that it really ought to be done, I guess George's lack of enthusiasm for the whole thing was contagious to all of his parental units. I was feeling quite guilty about the whole thing, actually, like that somehow despite his resistance I really should have found a way to teach him. (How very many things there are to feel guilty about as a parent!!)

Anyway, fast forward to today. George and I were in Toys-R-Us compiling his Christmas list. In the back of the store is a big section with all the bicycles. George hopped on a little preschooler bike with training wheels and started riding it around. Suddenly something clicked in my head--these aisles were wide and pretty long, and there was no one at all around in this part of the store... what if I surprised him with the suggestion that he jump on one of the two-wheelers and give it a try, right here in the store? I thought the idea was zany enough that it might appeal to him. I also liked that it had the element of surprise, that he might just say yes without having any time to really think about it. As I predicted, he was definitely intrigued!

Before he could think much about it, I pulled a bike off the display that looked about the right size, had him get on it, and I started wheeling him around on it. I let go for a few seconds and I could see that he really did have his balance--all that scootering had surely helped prepare him for this. But I could see his enthusiasm level wasn't quite what it needed to be to see this task through to its conclusion, so I thought fast and then asked him what he would want from me as a prize if he really learned how to ride a bike today. He quickly replied, a video game. Done! I said. I told him we'd go to a park when we got home and if he really learned today we'd come right back and get him the video game of his choice. But we both kind of wanted him to try it one more time right there in the store, so I set him up again, gave him a good push, and let go. He rode all the way down that aisle! ...and then crashed, into a display of bicycle helmets! I laughed so hard I had to sit down. Before you conclude that I'm a wretched human being, let me add that he was laughing just as heartily. The irony of the display being helmets was not lost on him, as he sat/lay there amidst them all with the bike sort of on top of him. We laughed and laughed for quite some time before we could get it together to put everything back.

We hurried home, as we'd soon be running out of daylight (stupid autumn! anyway...) and looked for his helmet and a wrench to remove the training wheels from his "new" bike which he's had for years but has ridden probably three times. Then we wheeled the bike down the big hill to the parking lot in the park across from our house. The lot was basically empty, and there weren't too many people around--perfect. From there, it was really a snap. He was off and running from his first try, though learning how to start by himself took a little bit of effort. As I watched him ride around the parking lot, and then on one of the trails across the park, I think that the thrill and pride that I felt matched what I felt all those years ago on the other side of the country when I had my first successful solo ride.

So even though it took a bribe to get his enthusiasm up for this milestone (and honestly, I wish I'd thought about this approach two or even three years ago!), in the end he did take on the task with great gusto, and I know he was quite pleased with his success. He said that we shouldn't make a big deal out of it since he should have learned when he was 3, but I could tell he felt rather triumphant just the same.

Definitely an A+ for phys ed today!