I'd been thinking that this summer would be the summer that I'd finally help Elliot learn how to ride a bicycle.  Without training wheels.  All by himself.  He's been wanting to learn for some months now.  And even though the Dutch tend to pick up this skill earlier in life than their American counterparts (not surprisingly), I figured that Elliot would be up for the task.  And it turns out that I was right.

I just never expected that it would all actually happen so quickly, so suddenly, so smoothly, so easily -- all on the first try, believe it or not.

We decided to go to the Oosterpark, not far from our home, to give us plenty of space for the first attempts at flying solo.  I told Elliot that the trick was in the pedaling.  That the faster he went, and the harder he pedaled, the straighter his bike would go and the easier he would be able to stay balanced.  That it was all about commitment.  Of course, I would be there beside him, ready to catch him if he started to fall.  I could give him a push for a little while to get things started (the starting and the stopping is always the hardest part), and I could run beside him shouting encouragement and celebrating his accomplishment.  But it was going to be up to him to pedal and stay calm and confident and commited in order to make it all happen (if you know Elliot -- a typically cautious, careful, and timid boy -- then you would know why this sort of mental preparation and "pep talk" would be so important for him).

Honestly, I just didn't expect him to listen so well and pick things up so quickly.  Even the very first attempt went surprisingly well.  I only had to stop him because he was about to run into the bushes.  The second and third and subsequent attempts, too, went remarkably well.  He would only need to be rescued when some distraction came up (i.e. another biker within 25 meters of him), or when he would gradually veer off-course toward the bushes or toward the curb in the middle of the park's roundabout.  There did end up being some minor crashes -- but mostly, I was amazed by how well my boy did!  He still needs some practice when it comes to starting and stopping, and of course he'll get steadier with time.  But overall, it was a great start.  I'm so proud that my son now knows how to ride a bike!

If you'd be interested in seeing a few more photos of Elliot's first day of bicycle riding, you can check out the Family Pictures section of the website.