Year: 2022

(We are thrilled to have our Family Biking columnist Shannon Johnson back in the fold after a few months of maternity leave!)

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our biking family: Felix Noël. He was born on December 28, 2021. (Remember that really snowy day after Christmas? Yep, that’s when he arrived!) We’ve had a good few months of rocking and cuddling, but I’m eager to get out riding again.

Felix and I haven’t been on the bike yet, and I definitely miss it. Meanwhile, my toddler loves the opportunity to ride his balance bike to the park, instead of taking his usual bakfiets ride, though I find supervising a toddler on a balance bike to be a new realm of parental stress. I know balance bikes are much beloved, but it gives my two-year-old a level of speed and independence that I’m not always ready for (see his happy little face below). I now spend our walks repeating, “stay right next to Mommy, wait, wait up, Mommy goes first, okay, good job, stay right next to Mommy,” (as I don’t want him rolling behind a car backing out of a driveway with limited visibility to see a two foot tall toddler). It’s a relief when we arrive at the playground and my little guy can finally “zoom” around on a carfree path. Maybe when I get back to riding I can tote the balance bike to the park and he can just enjoy car-free zooming. That would make us both happy!

(How do the rest of you balance bike lovers manage your speedy toddlers?)

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