Kids need to crash their bikes to learn how to ride.

There’s no instruction manual for bike riding for kids. 

Here’s a screenshot of my recent interaction on WhatsApp with my 12-year-old son: 

Translation: 

• Dad
• I can’t find my bike key
• Found

Note the time stamp on the texts: 

• 4:29 PM
• 4:29 PM
• 4:34 PM

In other words, he fixed his own world in 5 minutes. 

I should add that he called my wife (but she forgot her phone at the house so it rang and rang). Then he called me and I asked him where he might have lost it to which he replied, “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be looking for it.” and sure, he’s right. But what else am I supposed to say? 

We’re also in temporary housing right now and I have no idea in the world where an extra key to his bike might be. Excellent bus system here in Holland, by the way. Just saying… 

He said he would look for his key, pouted, then hung up. 

Then he solved his earth-shattering crisis.

All on his own. 

Just like that. 

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This is an excerpt from “Spark: How to write a book with your kids–and why you should” due out…any day now.

At first I found this image for this post, which I rather liked, but the screenshot of the actual text won out.

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