by: Topher Wiles
*Scroll to the bottom to see a video of Micah's first ride*
Micah made his bold and resolute proclamation at the dinner
table Monday night stating, “Dad, I would like to ride my bike without training
wheels tonight.”
Children often look forward to the next rite of passage;
that moment that marks a transition from one stage of life to the next. It could be getting to start kindergarten, putting
on makeup for the first time, receiving a first cell phone, going on a first
date, or taking that driver’s test. The striking
way my five-year-old distinctly made his proclamation let me know this rite of
passage needed my full attention and it needed to happen soon. Around the dinner table, the family changed
plans for the night intending to see this monumental achievement in the life of
a child done properly in a sloped parking lot.
We arrived at the White County High School parking lot about
7:30pm. If you haven’t parked there yet,
I’ll let you in on a bicycling tip, the hill the school is built on makes the
parking lot perfect for coasting. That’s
right, I said, “coasting.” The act of
gliding on a bicycle without pedaling is key to riding a bicycle and leaning
into turns without training wheels. Many
parents get frustrated with their children when trying to teach them to ride
without training wheels by going straight into pedal power.
A youth minister years ago told me the secret
truth to removing training wheels: remove
the pedals first and focus on coasting.

Helping Micah achieve the next step of cycling prowess
reminded me of a fundamental principle of child rearing. To give your kids the most
freedom they can safely enjoy, we need to purposely give them safety nets and
training to help them on their way.

Before that first cell phones hits his fingers, consider
training your son on proper internet usage by keeping a desktop computer (I
know, ancient right?) in a public place in the house for early internet usage
training. Make sure to openly put safety
apps on the cell phone such as time limiters and internet accountability apps
to give them an extra safety net when the temptation to access unsafe material arises. Consider having a “cellphone cabinet” in the
kitchen or living room where kid’s cell phones get charged and stored during
bedtime hours. As studies show the
potential pitfalls and dangers for young kids and teenagers, proper training
and coasting practice will pay big dividends in your teens’ development.

Wise King Solomon shared, “Train up a child in the way
he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov 22:6) To
enjoy the most freedom in life when we are older it takes purposeful incremental
training when we are younger. Pray for
wisdom, do some research, and ask other parents how and when to take the pedals
off and let your kids coast on the path of life. May you find success as you as you learn to
train your family to enjoy the freedoms life has to offer.
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather
than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11
The word “forte” comes from the latin word “fortis” meaning strength. Our weekly Family Forte article in The Expositor is the effort of family at Central Church of Christ to give your family the love, care, and attention it needs to become a stronger version of itself. If we can help you in any way, please contact us at Central Church of Christ through email, topherwiles@spartacoc.com, or through our website, www.spartacoc.com.