For Baby’s 3rd birthday her Aunty J bought her a bike. Not just any bike, no, a special bike with fairies on it. Baby was so happy with her present, she couldn’t wait to get started. After a couple of days cycling the three meters or so up and down our living room (as daddy hadn’t quite fixed the brakes), we ventured outside for her first proper bike ride.
She picked it up so quickly, learning to turn and ride in circles. I was thrilled with how she listened to my instructions and took in what I was telling her about safety, stopping to listen for cars.
It seems very old hat to say the speed she is growing amazes me, however it is so very true. How did we get here, to the point where we are teaching her to ride a bike and she is flying off ahead of me in total control. I won’t say her newborn days seem as if they were only yesterday, but the speed at which she is hurtling through life scares me a little. I always want to be a better mum, to have more time, to be able to give my undivided attention. I am always waiting for that thing to change which will give me room to breathe and room to focus on just being a mum. While I am waiting for this oasis in my schedule, time is not waiting, but it’s ticking away in the background. That scares me.
The advocate on my other shoulder tells me that I should want her to grow up with a strong mum as a role model, a mum who hustles and works to provide her with experiences that most children don’t get, a mum who wants to succeed to show her daughter that anything is possible, in order for her to feel no barriers to what she can achieve. I do want to show her all these things. I just want the guilt I feel, when I think I am failing to be the best mum I could be, to leave me.
My little fearless beauty, I hope you tackle everything in your life the way you have tackled this experience, head on with no holes barred. The world really is your oyster if you do.
Here is a little video I made of her first few days of bike riding (including her crashing into me!).
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf9MoTcr7PE[/embedyt]
Comments 5
Oh she’s so gorgeous – look at her go! What a super cute bike too – I love the contrast of the pretty bike with her firey helmet! x x
Well done Baby, a great way to enjoy being outdoors, hours of fun to be had from this bike and I bet the stabilizers will be off in no time.
Oh what a great video. Baby is doing so well with her bike riding which reminds me that I need to take my three year old out on her bike! We don’t have any quiet roads near us so it can be tricky.
With regards to what you say about waiting for an “oasis in your schedule” I think it is always hard as a Mum to find that work/life balance. But you hit the nail on the head about being a good role model. Baby is going to grow up with a strong, amazing role model and I think that is really important. You shouldn’t feel guilty as you have created the best of both worlds. A job that allows you to be at home so that you can always be there for baby and take to nursery etc. You are doing a fab job! :- )
The photos are great! I am so glad that she is enjoying her new bike. They are all growing up so fast. My daughter loves her bike but I really wish I could have taken the training wheels off and turn it into a balance bike from day 1. I keep trying to remove the wheels and padals. Enjoy her new bike!
Bless her and lovely words Aby. She looks so grown up on her bike, we haven’t got LL a bike yet, I still see her as so much of a baby when she is older than baby. I bet she absolutely loved her first bike ride. I remember when Mads got her first bike it felt so grown up. We still haven’t taken the stabilisers off though- oops! 😉 Gorgeous photos and video too. x