When Children Get It

Both of my daughters learned to ride their bikes this past weekend. We have been working on bike riding for some time with great frustration. Our daughters have been frightened and frustrated, and as parents we have questioned our abilities to be effective teachers. After a few practice attempts they both just got on their bikes and rode them. It was a rather magical moment after numerous failed attempts.

This experience reminded me of the simple joys of observing children “get it.” Do you remember your child’s first words? First steps? First hit of the baseball? All of their determination and frustrations from past failures washed from their faces as a smile and the joy of success bring a new flood of emotion. I have noted the numerous times that it just seems to click for children and they finally get it. Sometimes this happens sooner than expected and other times it seems as if a child will never understand. But in both cases the excitement of a new skill is wonderful.

Parents must be patient teachers and encouraging cheerleaders. We must be careful about pushing a child too fast to learn a skill. Our determination will only discourage their efforts, increase their frustration, and possibly cause them to give up. We must also acknowledge their success no matter how trivial. Their newfound skill may come at an inconvenient time, when we are busy with other projects, but we must recognize their achievement with appropriate enthusiasm. Too much praise they will perceive as insincere and too little praise they will perceive as rejecting.

I hope you can enjoy some new experiences of your children’s milestones

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