Sep 032014
 

 

 

Torn front wheel of a bicycle after a crash wi...

Torn front wheel of a bicycle after a crash with a car (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

I was packing for a trip with the TV on in the background.  Instead of heading to bed early so I could be fresh for my trip, I stayed up to jot some thoughts about a  bike accident.

Were there flames, fatalities or drama?  On the surface there was nothing unusual about the incident.  Or so it seemed at first.  A young boy was riding his bike, hit a pothole, fell off and broke his wrist. He had a bike accident and his Mom is suing the city.

[Tweet “Were there flames, fatalities or drama?”]

When asked why the city should be held responsible she replied “Hellooooo.”  That was the entire comment.

Of course I feel for any child with a broken bone — it hurts. It’s unfortunate. And I understand parents feeling angry when children suffer: those feelings are normal and natural. And of course cities and towns should to their best to make necessary road repairs.

Kids fall off of bicycles and get hurt. It happens: neither riding a bike nor conquering gravity are particularly easy skills to master. But a broken wrist in not a fatality. Painful? Inconvenient? Scary? Sure — so are lots of opportunities for growth.

Intended or not, actions have consequences — even driving our bikes in unexpected directions.

Have you ever been frustrated by making repeated requests about basic chores or responsibilities?  Laundry that doesn’t make it to the hamper?  Book bags that don’t get cleaned out?  Toys that aren’t put away?

At that point some parents are able to let certain laundry go undone, permission slips unsigned and toys “‘go missing.”  It’s generally an effective way to stop nagging and help kids connect the dots between the request and the consequence of not following through.

However there parents who offer to serve detention for their kids and even one who drove the get-away car for her “baby’s” robbery…  sometimes parental love gets in the way of more rational thinking!

[Tweet “Sometimes parental love gets in the way of more rational thinking!”]

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P.S.  I think extreme examples can be useful in checking our own decisions so  I’ve got a collection of old news articles here. They’ve sparked some lively conversations in parenting groups.  (And, please, if you’ve got one to add, send me the link!  I love this crazy collection.)

 

 

 

 

 

  4 Responses to “Bike Accident Boo-Boo”

  1. Yes Andrea, I have been frustrated by making repeated requests about basic chores or responsibilities…I think we all have, especially women! The woman who wanted to sue the city is sending a message to her son that outside influences are easily to blame, and you can gain from it. The city did not do something to the boy, and yes he hit a pothole, but when riding a bike be on the lookout for potholes, they are everywhere! Life lessons can be painful!

    • Thanks, Debra…. I think sometimes we get so caught up in day-to-day busy-ness it’s hard to think about the long-term impact of our decisions. I sometimes worry that the inability to tolerate a little short-term discomfort sets kids up for longer, bigger pain.

  2. Been there Andrea. My friend has this theory that the kids get together and plan how to respond to parents (usually to annoy them). But as parents we have to do our part to ensure they learn life’s lessons even if it hurts now.

  3. Oh that’s a bummer. That’s why we need to be careful all the time.

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