[tmaly]

>Children want to please their parents, so they might work on things that they think you would like.

I think this is known as the Pygmalion effect. It is very powerful, and we as parents/teachers have to be very careful with this.

Knowing what each of us really wants is a difficult question to answer.

I often wonder how much of what my parents were and were not shaped what I have become.

My daughter actually just taught herself to ride this past weekend. Her biggest hurdle was getting over the fear of crashing. She started out balancing for a few days before she just magically started pedaling.

[seg_lol]

Riding a bike is hard. It is a lot like swimming, so many motions at the same time. The body has to think it, not the cortex. There is this great smarter everyday segment on a reverse bike. I recommend it for everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0

My kids first word was, "no". Her first sentence was, "help me no". I use those as guides to maintain the distance she desires.

Athletics like art are one of those accomplishments and outlets that kids can embrace at a young age w/o having the "when I grow up" statements. They can start living their lives in the now w/o adults putting it off to a later date.

Watching a kid finally get riding a bike is a wonderful thing.