Archive for July, 2009
It’s natural for younger brothers and sisters to emulate their older siblings. They admire the advantages and freedoms that older kids enjoy – a later bedtime, more responsibility, cool friends, etc. As soon as kids learn how to ride a bicycle, they want to go exploring the neighborhood; younger kids get left behind.
With a tricycle, young children get a valuable head start before trying out a bike with training wheels. They also acquire a taste for the freedom of the “open road,” even if that just means the sidewalk directly in front of the house. Most importantly, kids tricycle make small children feel more equal in the eyes of their older siblings. They can take the trike out for a spin even as older brother or sister tears around the neighborhood on a two-wheeler.
My family lives in a four-story brownstone a few blocks away from some railroad tracks. It’s not exactly an upscale neighborhood, but it’s safe, and my wife and I have jobs that pay well enough to allow us to live in comfort. Our son just turned 6, and his train obsession grows stronger with the toot of each passing locomotive. He loves to stand a safe distance from the tracks and wave at the conductor.
We took a train across the country to visit my parents in Chicago, and my son was absolutely floored. He asked to see the various train compartments and showed a serious interest in the engine room as well. I selected a pedal train for his sixth birthday, and he wheels around the yard making train noises from the moment he gets home from school.