A Bean, A Bug, & Three Coffee Mugs: Strange Learning Style

I'm not sure what you might call this. Or even that it is all that strange. Maybe all kids learn this way? I know I sure didn't....

When Ella was about 4 1/2 I tried to teach her how to tie her shoes. We spent a few minutes one day where I showed her how it was done, coached her as she tried it on her own, and then let her practice as long as she wanted to. She seemed to get it but couldn't quite get her fingers to do it. They were just too small and chubby!

So about a year later, maybe a little less, I thought she really needs to learn to tie her shoes! I mean she is 5 years old now and even though most, if not all, of her shoes are either slip-ons or Velcro, this is like a rite of passage, every child must learn to tie shoes! So, I told her, "Come here, let's practice tying shoes again." She looked at me sort of silly and said, "I can tie my shoes!" I have to admit I didn't believe her. I thought she just didn't want to do it.

She ran to the closet, grabbed a pair of shoes and said, "Here I'll show you." And within a split second she had tied it perfectly.

I. was. shocked.

But relieved, nothing like accomplishing something you set out to do (in no time).

Around about the same age I took her training wheels off her bike and told her we were going to go practice riding without them. Well we practiced and practiced and practiced. We got nowhere. And I mean nowhere!!! If I let go she would freak out and immediately put her feet down. But if I didn't let go then she would start to tip and just hold on for dear life and expect me to keep her upright!!! It just was not working.

For days, weeks, months I continued to ask her, "Do you want to go practice riding your bike again?"

Nope.

No way.

Not gonna do it.

Being the mean mom that I am I refused to put her training wheels back on. So instead of trying to ride a bike around the neighborhood she resorted to endless hours on her scooter.

Another year passes and she is still riding that scooter. (Now we are up to date on our little story here.) I asked her did she want to try to ride her bike again. With no hesitation at all she says yes and gets very excited. We get all geared up and would you believe that she got on that bike and just rode off?!? What is it with this kid? Weird I tell ya!

I've never seen anything like it! Now she was a bit wobbly at first but she could go clear down the street (she just took up the whole sidewalk, so watch out!) And at one point she completely plowed over her brother because she just could not get the concept of braking!!