I didn't blog much in August as I was in a bit of a funk because of the war. We did, however, do things locally and achieved some big milestones, one of which was learning to ride a bike without stabilizers.
There are a few things I wasn't looking forward to about being a mum. The first was toilet training. I couldn't be bothered with all those accidents. I thought I'd maybe just keep her in nappies until she started school. Then when she was about 2 1/2 I instinctively felt it was time and I was ready to stop changing nappies. Oh yes, and she was probably ready and it was the beginning of the hot summer so all in all a good time to do it.
DD heard me discussing with her nursery teacher and agreeing to start over the weekend. It was a Thursday so one more day of nappies. I'd already bought knickers and shown them to DD. When we got home she walked in, pulled off her nappy and said, "no nappy, knickers." And that was that. No accidents, no training. She wore knickers in bed that night and never wet the bed even once.
Another thing I was dreading was teaching her to ride a bike. I remember my Dad running up and down the street behind me, one hand on the back of the saddle, while I got my confidence. I was not looking forward to that at all.
So we went to the bike shop and had the stabilizers taken off, the seat raised, and the tires pumped up. (I'm a single mother, I don't do tools. If I can't do it with a spatula or an egg whisk I need to find a man who can.) Then we went to the park. I turned my back for one minute to get out my sunglasses and I hear, "Mummy, look, I'm doing it! I can do it!"
And so she could. A bit wobbly at first but improving by the second. I sat down and got out my camera. Another job accomplished. Well doneme her.
There are a few things I wasn't looking forward to about being a mum. The first was toilet training. I couldn't be bothered with all those accidents. I thought I'd maybe just keep her in nappies until she started school. Then when she was about 2 1/2 I instinctively felt it was time and I was ready to stop changing nappies. Oh yes, and she was probably ready and it was the beginning of the hot summer so all in all a good time to do it.
Another thing I was dreading was teaching her to ride a bike. I remember my Dad running up and down the street behind me, one hand on the back of the saddle, while I got my confidence. I was not looking forward to that at all.
So we went to the bike shop and had the stabilizers taken off, the seat raised, and the tires pumped up. (I'm a single mother, I don't do tools. If I can't do it with a spatula or an egg whisk I need to find a man who can.) Then we went to the park. I turned my back for one minute to get out my sunglasses and I hear, "Mummy, look, I'm doing it! I can do it!"And so she could. A bit wobbly at first but improving by the second. I sat down and got out my camera. Another job accomplished. Well done
Oh clever girls! You for raising her with confidence to do it, and your little lady for getting on with it and ticking the box.
ReplyDeleteWell done to both of you! And I feel a lot better about my inability to use a drill after reading this ... x
ReplyDeleteLOL, we do so much on our own and have achieved so much as single mothers, there is no shame in admitting there are areas in which we need help.
DeleteOh my out of nappies and on a big girl bicycle, some real milestones! Congratulations to her and thank you for sharing on Country Kids.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the nappies went a long time ago - she's almost 6!
DeleteAww! Well done to her and to you!! x
ReplyDeleteThank you on behalf of both of us. :)
DeleteWow, great work! My daughter wants to ride without stabilisers soon. Yikes. #countrykids
ReplyDeleteAs soon as she wants it take them off. There's no better time. Good luck.
Deletemazal tov! and that bike is way too small on her- see how her knee is bent? she should be able to touch the ground only on tiptoe while straddling the seat.
ReplyDeleteI know but it's much easier to learn to ride on a smaller bike. Now she has got her confidence we can get a bigger bike. It's much harder to start riding when only your tiptoes reach the floor.
DeleteWow well done! We really must get poor Leo a bike! He had a 2nd hand one last year with stabilizers but it was rubbish and he could barely pedal it, been putting it off for so long as it was never going to be easy living in a 3rd floor apartment effectively on my own (with Aaron at work 7 days a week last year) and a not walking baby. Think Santa may be on the case this year ;)
ReplyDeleteOne of our motives for taking off the stabilizers was that the wheels didn't grip because the stabilisers were too low. I remember them being higher off the ground when I was a kid but here they are fixed like two back wheels.
DeleteSounds like you have a very independent and capable young lady there. Well done both of you!
ReplyDelete#countrykids
She is very independent actually - sometimes it's great and other times it's not so great. In this instance it was amazingly great.
Delete