Wednesday 31 July 2013

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J Summary (4Y4M26D) - J Learns to Cycle (Day 3)

Today Day 3, we taught J how to turn and stop.

Daddy put a traffic post in the middle and taught J how to turn by going about the traffic post.

J learned to turn left
 
J learned to turn right
A video of J turning:

 
J learned to get off bike:
 




We have arrived home :-)
On Day 4, We will focus on getting up the bike.

Updates:

6 July 2014 - Summer is here again... a year has gone by. We were glad that we took time to teach J how to cycle last yer. This year he could cycle very well. Picture below showing him making the figure of 8. We could cycle all the way to Furesø





Monday 29 July 2013

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Reflection on Learning How to Ride A Bicycle


"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
(2 Corinthians 6: 18)


Sunday 28 July 2013

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J Summary (4Y4M23D) - J Learns to Cycle with Bike Training Handle (Day 2)




We started to teach J how to cycle yesterday. Today Day 2 of training, we focused on helping J to cover the distance without support. My friend YL gave us a training handle. Although we were sceptical about it, we put it on today. It turned out to be a great help. It was much easier to hold on to J with the training handle, enabling J to be the one to steer the bike, with Daddy close-by to grab the training handle as an added security when needed.


Below is the first video of the beginning of Day 2 training. We were actually pleasantly surprised how fast Daddy was able to let go of the training handle.


It gave J the confidence knowing that Daddy was holding on to him. And Daddy could let go of the handle gradually, and J actually could cycle without support, without knowing that Daddy wasn't holding the handle.

Here is a video:
 
Slowly J became more and more confident, and Daddy let go of the training handle more, and by the end of the day, J could cycle for the most distance without Daddy holding on to the training handle.
 
 
 
We stopped by a bench to quench our thirst...
 
 
and saw a family rowing boat and swiming in the lake:
 
 
 
By the time we went home, Daddy could bearly keep up with J and was running behind him. It was a pleasant surprise how fast children learn to cycle, and I was right that J was ready to start.
 
 
Towards the end of the trip, J could cycle longer and faster without support:
 
 
J could turn without Daddy holding onto the training handle.
 
 
 
We have arrived home:

 
On Day 3 of training, we will work on teaching J to get up and get off the bicycle. 
 
You can find bike training handle from Amazon: 
 

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J Summary (4Y4M22D) - Two Imperfect Mommy & Daddy Learning to Resolve Conflicts with God's Help




Yesterday's post may give readers an incorrect picture that our lives are always rosy, that we are a perfect, carefree and sunny family always. That's not the full picture. We are a happy family no doubt, but we are both very imperfect and have our struggles. I will let you in a few details. By sharing our human-ness, we hope that you will not judge us. We share, because we do not want to discourage others with a picture of an unatainable perfect family, as some of my posts may come across.

Yesterday ended well, but it started out in a little rough water.

Daddy: Let's go for a long walk along the lake.

Mommy: Great idea, let's go to the lake, but let's go and teach J how to cycle there instead of a long walk.

Daddy: Why start now when we have plenty of time?

Mommy: Why wait, when we have the time now? And we may not have the time later.

Daddy: It is better to wait until the weather is colder, so that J is well-padded from the winter jacket to sustain any fall. If he falls down now, he may not want to learn to cycle anymore.

Mommy: But that's why I have given him the long-sleeved t-shirt, gloves and jeans that cover his knee-caps. He is also wearing helmet and shoes. That's good enough. The falls won't be so painful. Besides, if he learns to cycle during fall or winter, the thick winter clothes would be too cumbersome and gets in the way.

Daddy: But he will know how to cycle when he is ready. He will ask for it, when he wants to learn how to cycle.

Mommy: But he is ready to learn how to cycle now. He has asked for it, but your fear of him falling down has influenced him and made him afraid. Now, he said he will wait until he is 8 years old to learn how to cycle :-(

Daddy: And I have spent a lot of time to put on the training wheels, and I don't want to have to put it back on again.

Mommy to herself: (But that should not be a reason to hindle J to learn to cycle. It is a little like buying a Mercedes car, and because it takes too much effort to maintain it, one keeps it unused in the garage... but Mommy kept quiet... and trying very hard not to say any words that would hurt)

Inner self: We may not have the time later. There may be unforeseen encounters that come up such as you have to go for unexpected business trip, I have to go for unexpected business trip, we have unexpected overseas visit... etc. etc. and these unexpected events happen... OFTEN.

Inner Self: Besides, we don't have plenty of time in the years ahead. The goals before J starts primary school is to be able to cycle and to be able to swim, so that he can focus on learning other things such as tennis, basketball, soccer, skating, skiing, when he starts school.... And he will enter school in 2 years' time. WE DON'T HAVE SO MUCH TIME LEFT!!! So the aim this year is to learn how to cycle, so that we can concentrate mastering swimming by next year. And J will be starting swimming class in September. Furthermore, after the school vacation break, the piano, music and Chinese classes will also start again. If there is time to learn how to cycle, it is NOW.

Holy Spirit: My child, don't be proud, don't fight back, don't hit back with hurtful words, submit to your husband.

Inner Self: Why can't he have a greater sense of urgency? Oh, Daddy must be thinking why must she always be so goal-oriented for every single thing she does!!!

Inner struggle...

Inner struggle not to argue back...

Holy Spirit: Elaine, remember Philippians 2: 3-4 "Do not act out of selfish ambition or conceit, but with humility think of others as being better than yourselves. Do not be concerned about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others."

Inner Self: God, help me to obey the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I am fighting my pride and self-centredness... I always want to win, I am struggling... help me to shut my mouth and keep it shut. God, help me to resist my tendency of being a tiger-mom, and frustrate Daddy.

Inner struggle...

Inner struggle not to argue back...

Holy Spirit: Elaine, remember, Love is eternal, when forgivness never ends.

Inner struggle...

Inner struggle, inner struggle not to snap back....

Daddy: Do you really want to take off the training wheels?

Mommy: Yes.

Daddy: Ok, you don't regret ya.

Mommy: No regrets.

(Daddy started taking off the training wheels.)

Daddy: Now you can support J on the bicycle.

Mommy: Okie, thank you dear (but mommy had a hard time supporting J on the bicycle.)

Mommy: Would you like to take over to support J on his bicycle?

Daddy: Ok, let me do it.





Mommy: Shall I take over, so that you can rest?

Daddy: It is alright. It is too heavy for you. I will do it.

Mommy: So sweet of you :-)







The trip was really fun. Daddy could see that it was the right decision. J was taking it well. The falls weren't bad. The trip ended well. It was very memorable.

Holy Spirit: Remember to affirm your husband and thank him for a good job. Remember to affirm J and tell him that he has been very brave and he should be very proud of learning how to cycle.

Mommy: J, you have been so brave. You have managed to complete the whole trip. You will surely learn how to cycle with more practice. And Daddy, you did a fantastic job teaching and supporting J how to cycle. I could not have done it without you.

Daddy: (All smiles and a kiss)

Mommy: Sorry for being such an annoying kiasu tiger-mom. I will learn to be more relaxed and just enjoy the sun.

Daddy: It's alright. That's why I love you for.


Daddy in the basement trying to put on the supporting pole:


The supporting pole was fixed and J tried to cycle with Daddy support. And Daddy managed to let off slip a few times, and J was cycling fine.

We will practice again tomorrow. Thank you Daddy. Thank you God, for helping me to hold my mouth, swallow my pride and not to fight back today.







Saturday 27 July 2013

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J Summary (4Y4M22D) - J Learns to Cycle Without Training Wheels (Day 1)




For memories, today Saturday evening, Daddy teaching J how to cycle. This was the first time we took off the training wheels.




Mommy: Shall I take over, so that you can rest?

Daddy: It is alright. It is too heavy for you. I will do it.

Mommy: So sweet of you :-)





 






 

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