Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 21, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba 6977234 Winnipeg free May 2000 no bruises for a Day make dad responsible a Friend asked me recently what could be done about irresponsible of i had no idea what she was talking she said she was asking on behalf of another Friend whose husband was oblivious to his children one the result was a bottle of very expensive perfume poured out for i he is Irres Ponsi what was he doing buying expensive perfume i mumbled something incoherent and moved on i was not going to get involved in that Little argue largely because i have an indefensible my track record for responsibility when looking after my kids Doest look so hot under close the most glaring example occurred years ago when my wife managed to get away with some it was her first big Road trip in Many my eldest boy then our Only boy was my wife phoned me the first night to see How things were there i almost con my wife naturally asked about our Hes i hesitating slight whats wrong its nothing just a Little Stony silence on the other the scratch is on his Eye i meekly what he has a Patch on his nothing he just has to keep it on for a few if id been really smart i have mentioned the Patch was removed before my wife returned close Call it was a close How was i to know that playing with Sticks could Lead to something like that have you Ever heard a dad yell you kids be careful with its All fun and games until someone loses an that a mom thing to my wife just this was not the first time this has when my boy was not quite 2 we visited some i was in the basement with my son and my wife was How could anything happen my son climbed on an exercise Bike in the while i exercising the most careful parental he slipped off the slammed his head against the Concrete basement Wall and split open his i have a history of i slammed my Brothers head against the Corner of a Wall in 1966 because he threw my prize super Ball on the in told Only a few stitches were the tradition my youngest now was born without the fear its a rare disorder that allows him to hurtle Down Park slides that frighten older about the Only thing that does scare him Are maw Pees monsters to you and but he generally Van quiches them with a phase we have lying feeling everything his fearlessness constantly Chal Lenges his forehead sports a per though constantly he experiences life by feeling everything con Crete with his his sensory explorations Are always on my my wife went out when she our youngest had a massive red Welt run Ning from the Middle of his forehead Down to the tip of his a More deeply red than the was etched Down the Centre of this facial dont ask i have no one minute i was sitting at my computer with my boy at my feet play the next thing i know he is screaming after branding his brain for me his temporary scar was a Scarlet giant red Lousy in my defence admittedly a pathetic other dads have these my wife told me a Friend of ours went away and when she came Back one of her sons had broken his toe while in dads a he Calls himself a father but were doing pretty Well these last few times Ive had the kids to myself neither one has impaled him self or come close to in thinking of putting up one of those signs they have in you this dad has gone xxx Days with out an that seems pretty responsible to Paul Mckie is a responsible reporter 1 with the Winnipeg free family Magazine b3 let dad breaking free from training wheels a Delight for Tough on parents by Suzanne Perez Tobias a Childs first Bike ride is a lesson in encouragement and aching on a sunny Sophia Macias is ready to ride take pm take pm off Richard Macias looks Down at the White train ing wheels attached to his daughters i i he just a its a scene that will be replayed hundreds of times this As children weary of their wheeled crutches beg parents to let them ride their Bicy cles the real Way like the big boys and for Richard an attorney and father of this month marked the second ground at teaching a child to three years ago it was our oldest suddenly announced she was ready and demanded the wheels be Macias wrote in an email to the Wichita Eagle within Only a few Days she was up and run he she was so excited she had to Call anyone who would now it is Sophia at Sophia wants to join the ranks of Katie and a Neighbour who proudly Demon Strates his new skill by Riding up and Down the Street in front of the Maciasek i want to try Sophia said that sunny Katie bounced a basketball in the while her younger walked around the modelling her new easter Oney Earold the watched from his Playpen in the front i want to be like Katie and Sophia i think in she straddled her bicycle a hand Down that has gone through several cousins As her father loosened and finally removed the training her Mother watched from a she tried this once before and fell Deborah Macias she put my train ing wheels Back on i think she just want ready Sophia is naturally More timid and careful than her older but classes in Ballet and swimming have boosted her self con Tidence and taught her physical such As that could come in Handy for this Bicy Cle Riding her Mother was Happy to let dad play teacher this this is definitely a daddy Deborah Macias because i would never let go of the grasping that Richard Macias guided Sophia Down the driveway and out onto the an nicely paved Road with Little traffic other than Young car men followed behind on her a miniature Pink two Wheeler with training wheels and a White Basket in its pretty much a Richard but she feels like one of the big leaning Down with one hand still on Sophia Fernando 8alazar Wichita Eagle Richard Macias helps daughter Sophia above and below take her first Bike ride without the Aid of training bicycle he whispered into his daughters Are you ready she said Here we Ive got Sophia pedalled towards austins where he and Katie were play ing basketball in the her father walked behind hunched Over the after a he started walking dont run Sophia in in he but you need to go a Little faster so you can stay dont she and dont let go he looked Back at his wife and rolled his this would be a Richard had joked earlier at he was in just Good enough shape to run alongside her for about a Block before asking for a Ive been training at the he Back and Back and Forth they Sophia her father encouraging and keeping a though gradually grip on her Carmen and Little Frank watched and youre doing it Deborah Macias shouted at one of had not realized she was doing anything on her own until moms comment and freaked out a i said dont let go she shouted to her but kept her gaze straight ahead and deadly after about 30 minutes and several Short Breaks Why cant she be taller Richard stretching his Back and grimacing Sophia was ready to quit for the one More she and Tomor Row Richard grasped the bicycle seat and once again guided Sophia Down the As she started pedalling he let go for Sev eral she pedalled blissfully unaware of her All sister Katie Deborah Macias smiled and and Richard hurried to catch up with the when he took hold of the seat Sophia jumped and dont sneak up on me like that you were doing her father did you know that you were Riding on your Sophia the lesson ended with Sophia tearing off her gloves and knee pads and hurrying inside for chocolate hip cookies and about a week she was still Riding with her fathers but measuring Progress by the number of driveways she was Able to pedal past on her before her parents Shell cruise Down the Street without a like Many Richard and Deborah Macias greeted their daughters rite of passage with mixed when i i can do it ill be so but its tempered with a Little Richard that one More sign Shes growing Knight bidder newspapers with kids and take it one step at a time by Suzanne Perez Tobias learning How to ride a says Bob Doest have to mean scraped Knees for the child or frayed nerves for the a lot of parents just dont work the process through in their said owner of the bicycle Fedaler in with More than 20 years in the bicycle Busi he has advised countless parents and Chil Dren through the Bike Riding children learn things in he before they Ever they then they hold on to then they Start Many parents use the get on and go Holliday spending hours hunched behind a nervous child who is Strug gling to balance and pedal at the same but theres an easier Way Here is holidays step step guide to teaching a youngster How to ride i make sure the child is a Clear sign he asks you to take off his training usually its a peer pressure kind of Holliday maybe a kid in the neighbourhood recently got his training wheels older Brothers and Sisters often act As cat a child be pushed into something like Holliday it should it be something he feels he needs to do to please a or anybody i think whenever he rides with or without training wheels a child should Wear a helmet and shoes that wont slip a beginners Bike should have a foot Brake instead in addition to a hand i after removing training adjust the bicycle the seat should be Low enough that the while can put his feet Flat on the i find an paved area with a slight a parking lot with a slight Grade works Holliday but even a driveway on a Culdesac is you dont need lots of but youll want to avoid traffic and other distract i take the child to the top of the incline and have him coast to the Bottom with his feet Dan at this the child should not try to if he feels like Hes about to he should simply put his feet Down to Stop the the child gains Confidence doing Holliday they get a feel for the balance that repeat this step until the child can coast Down several times with his feet an Inch or two above the i have the child coast Down the incline with her feet on the pedals but not repeat until he feels i have the child pedal the Bike once or twice on the Way to get the feel for balancing and pedalling that combination is the Tricky part for most Holliday a step step approach that lets a child bal Ance on a Bike before trying to pedal makes the process less he Knight Ridder newspapers ;