Friday, December 10, 2010

Bicycles Built for Two year olds?

They're cute. They're adorable. Tiny little bicycles scaled down for tiny little humans.

Of course they are. Miniatures are cute, adorable, and worth cooing over. Miniature Victorian houses, miniature rosewood tables, miniature couches chairs, dining room sets, and flowers in the vases. The more precisely they are scaled down to normal proportions, the more ahh-worthy they are.

But two-year-olds on bicycles? Most two-year-olds barely have the co-ordination to ride a tricycle on an enclosed pathway. They are still fine tuning their gross motor skills, and they haven't yet learned to do several things at a time. Like keep their balance, move their feet, watch where they are going, and listen to a parent.

Why the rush to get  children onto adult equipment? By the age of 2 , haven't the parents learned yet that the baby years fly by too fast, too soon? So why the hurry to rush adult abilities on them?
Let them be kids.
Let them run before they race away -- that day will come too soon. Let them climb steps, teeter at the top of the slide, push off the swing with their own feet before we give them wheels to outrun us. God knows, most of them can do that without help.

Parents and grandparents, as you do your shopping, please think of the child you are shopping for. Is it a good idea to let them go faster than you can? Is it a great thing for your child to skip developmental steps?

Yes, the little bicycles are cute. Nearly irresistible.Anything miniature is cute.

Except roadkill.

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