The other week Charlie and I converted his sister's Dora bike into a man's bike...John Deere! I must admit I'm pretty impressed with the paint job and how a few stickers off an old toy can be given new life.
Well, Charlie was anxious to ride so he jumped on the next day and took off down the sidewalk. I was impressed to see him riding up and down as if he had done it for years...until...he hit the edge of the grass and fell over. I got him to get back on pretty easily, but he continued to fall a few times and became more hesitant. Then I realized something...I taught him to get on and ride, but never took the time to teach him to fall.
In life, we need to learn how to fall. It's often when we fall that we are able to get back up and soar to new heights. I take this opportunity with my children to tell them how we're going to fall a lot in life and it's important that we know how to get back up and try again.
Finally, after holding the bike in the grass and tipping him over till he learned to put his foot down and catch himself as he was falling, whenever Charlie falls now he calls out with a big smile "Papa, I put my foot out!" Now he knows how to fall.
