Where’s Your Motivation?

He didn’t start talking till way after the milestone “should have” been met.  We were instructed to see a speech-therapist who met with us, made note in his records and said in a couple years he may need therapy.  When words did start coming they flew… like wild-fire.

He just finished up kindergarten and his report card didn’t speak much of academics but said he was a great friend.  Conversations with the teacher throughout the year focused on how he spaced out quite a bit and top of the class? not by a long shot.  But just in these last few weeks I have seen this spark; a need to learn, and to read.

So I wasn’t very worried that at six-years old he still needed training wheels on his bike.  We’ve tried throughout the summer but he just had no balance.  At the same time I felt bad, because all of his neighbor friends were enjoying riding their bikes, racing, swerving, and carrying on, on our very quiet road.  They were like a gaggle of boys laughing and having a great time.  Except for *C*.

Yesterday morning I asked once again if he wanted to try his bike without his training wheels.  He lit up. “SURE!”  So I ran.

and ran.
and ran.

The minute I took my hand off his back he would tumble.  I told him I KNEW he could do this.  That he needed to keep peddling when I let go.  The faster you go the easier it is. etc etc. But after about 30 minutes of running I needed to stop.  For the first time though he wanted to leave the training wheels off.  We made a pact that we would practice every day and that he would have it mastered before school started.

That night Hubs and I had some errands to run and so left *C* with his older teenage brother, *J*.  We were gone for two hours and as I pulled into the driveway what did I see?  Amongst that gaggle of boys was *C*.  Riding his bike.  “Mom!, Mom!  I taught myself.  I can ride in the road with everyone now.”  He did it.  His motivation?  Riding with his friends!  I was so proud of him.