Firsts.

We have been trying to encourage Olivia to practice riding her bike so that she will get comfortable with stopping so we can take off the training wheels.  She is 5.5 and getting to the age that she needs to learn.  Olivia has always been a little behind with the physical stuff. 

The last time we tried was about a month ago.  We went on a walk in the neighborhood and Olivia insisted on riding her bike.  We obliged and set off.  About half way through our walk we got to a part that has slopes and I am not talking about big hills, just mild declines that made her nervous.  Suddenly she acted like she didn't know how to stop.  D ended up carrying her bike the rest of the way home.  This is usually what happens most of the time. 

Thursday they had 'bike day' at school.  We had to bring their bikes to school and they were going to ride them near the end of class.  So I parked in the back lot and stood on the curb watching her and the rest of the classes ride their bikes around.  At least half of the kids in her class didn't have training wheels on, including her best bud.  Suddenly she seemed to care that she had training wheels, so much so, that she threw me under the bus.  They were riding in circles and when Olivia and her friend rode by, Olivia is saying in her snotty voice, 'My mom had to put my training wheels on my bike.'  I am standing there thinking, really, this is my fault.  Then the second time around sans friend she goes, 'mom, why do you have my training wheels on, to which I responded with because you don't know how to ride without them!  So now she suddenly wants to ride her bike again.

In this case, peer pressure is a good thing.  Even if I am made to look like the bad guy.